- Liverpool are favourites ahead of Roma to reach the Champions League final
- Jurgen Klopp’s men hold a 5-2 advantage from the first leg semi-final at Anfield
- The return match takes place at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday evening
Jurgen Klopp has told his Liverpool players to fulfill their childhood dreams by reaching the Champions League semi-final.
Liverpool meet Roma in the Champions League semi-final second leg on Wednesday with a 5-2 lead. Real Madrid await the winners in the final.
‘The boys, so far, have played an incredible Champions League campaign, just incredible,’ he told BT Sport. ‘We are always on a really high level.
Jurgen Klopp says his team can fulfill a lifetime dream in reaching the Champions League final
The Liverpool boss praised his players for their outstanding Champions League efforts so far
Liverpool take a 5-2 lead into the semi-final second leg against Roma on Wednesday
‘We will fight, really the boys will fight for their lives because it’s a childhood dream to go to the Champions League final.’
Klopp insisted the sour note after the 5-2 victory at Anfield last week was not because his side conceded two away goals in the final 10 minutes at Anfield.
‘The main reason for my mixed emotions was the injury of (Alex) Oxlade-Chamberlain, it was not that they scored two goals. That’s of course not what I wanted but that’s the game, that is how it is.
‘5-2, you tell me before the game, I take it. And I still took it. It is no problem. We think we still have a job to do and I have no problem with that.
‘We won 5-2 and after the game it looked like these two goals were much more important than the five we scored and now Roma is halfway through already because they only have to win 3-0 against Liverpool. Both sides are not right.’
Oxlade-Chamberlain’s injury, however, leaves Klopp with just three fit midfielders for the tie in Georgino Wijnaldum, James Milner and captain Jordan Henderson.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s injury means Liverpool have three fit midfielders to play Roma
Klopp joked he would name Russell Crowe’s gladiator against Roma at the Stadio Olimpico
Klopp was then asked if he has seen the film Gladiator, to which he replied: ‘Yeah of course – Russel Crowe will play in my midfield tomorrow!’
Crowe’s character, Maximus Decimus Meridius, is a slave who rises back up through the gladitorial ranks to avenge the murders of his family.
The Champions League final is held on May 26, in Kiev.
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