- Roma take on Liverpool in first-leg of Champions League semi-final on Tuesday
- The Serie A outfit will be desperate to take an advantage going into return leg
- Daniele De Rossi and his Liverpool team-mates checked out Anfield on Monday
- Roma also paid their respects to those who died in the Hillsborough disaster
Eusebio Di Francesco’s Roma squad checked out their Anfield surroundings ahead of their crunch Champions League clash with Liverpool on Tuesday.
The Serie A outfit were seen inspecting the Anfield turf on the eve of their first-leg Champions League semi-final tie with the Reds.
The likes of Daniele De Rossi, Edin Dzeko and Alisson, who were joined by club legend Francesco Totti on Monday, appeared in a focused mood ahead of the highly-anticipated clash.
Edin Dzeko checks out the Anfield pitch with Roma team-mate Aleksandar Kolarov on Monday
The Roma squad appeared in high spirits as they checked out their surroundings
Daniele De Rossi will be desperate to lead his Roma team-mates to victory over Liverpool
Roma progressed to the Champions League semi-finals after beating Barcelona in last stage
The Roma squad took to the Anfield pitch just moments after visiting the Hillsborough memorial outside the stadium on Monday.
Club captain De Rossi laid a wreath next to the memorial as the squad paid their respects to the 96 Liverpool fans who tragically lost their lives at Hillsborough on April 15, 1989
Meanwhile, club manager Di Francesco says his side won’t sit back against Liverpool on Tuesday.
The Italian said he is well aware of the Merseyside club’s ability to hit teams with swift balls over the top for their attacking trio to exploit but wants his side to keep a tight, compressed formation.
Radja Nainggolan takes a selfie on the Anfield turf on the eve of their clash with Liverpool
Roma goalkeeper Alisson has a feel of the crossbar at Anfield on Monday evening
Club legend Francesco Totti joined the Roma squad on Merseyside on Monday
‘We aren’t going to sit deep. They have to do well to force us deep. The decisive thing will be for us to stay compact,’ said Di Francesco.
Much attention in the build-up to the game has inevitably focused on Liverpool star Mohamed Salah who moved to Anfield from Roma in June. However, Di Francesco said it would be a mistake for him or his team to over-focus on the Egyptian.
‘We can’t focus on a single player. Liverpool are not just Salah, the front-three combine really well together and that’s not an insignificant factor,’ he said referring to Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane.
‘So we haven’t prepared this game with one player in mind. When preparing the game, of course we have to be aware of their strongest players, but we’re not targeting a single one,’ he added.
De Rossi lays a wreath at the Hillsborough memorial outside Anfield on Monday
The Serie A squad pay their respects to the 96 that lost their lives at Hillsborough in 1989
Eusebio Di Francesco insists his Roma side will not sit deep against Liverpool on Tuesday
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