Liverpool are on the verge of the Champions League final after beating Roma 5-2 at Anfield in their semi-final first leg.
Mo Salah got the Reds going with two first half strikes, before he provided assists for Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino in front of the Kop. Firmino headed in a fifth from a corner before Edin Dzeko and Diego Perrotti earned away goals for Roma.
Joe Bernstein watched Liverpool tear the Italians apart on Tuesday evening, and gives his player ratings here…
Liverpool have one foot in the Champions League final after beating Roma 5-0 at Anfield
LIVERPOOL
Loris Karius – 6
Good saves from Strootman and Schick but lucky to escape with butter-fingered attempt to stop Kolarov’s shot that hit the crossbar
Trent Alexander-Arnold – 6.5
What a season the teenager is having. Booked early for fouling Strootman but grew stronger and played part in fourth goal
Virgil Van Dijk – 7
Commanding and put in an early tackle that sounded a warning to Roma. Becoming his club’s version of Vincent Kompany
Dejan Lovren looks a different player next to Virgil Van Dijk at the heart of Liverpool’s defence
Dejan Lovren – 7
Looks a different player next to Van Dijk. Unlucky not to score Liverpool’s second when his header hit the crossbar. Booked.
Andy Robertson – 7
Deserves to be first Scot since Paul Lambert to play in a Champions League final. Provided Liverpool with surges of energy down left.
James Milner – 7
Getting better with age. Starts the big games under Klopp and his harrying in midfield set the tone for a big night. Only blemish was late penalty conceded.
It was a bad evening for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, his game cut short early by injury
Jordan Henderson – 6.5
Disciplined performance from the captain. Nothing flashy but kept a watchful eye on Roma’s creators and distributed neatly.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – 6
Evening was cut short when he slid in to challenge Kolarov and came off worse, leaving on a stretcher.
Mo Salah – 9
PFA Player of the Year destroyed his former club. Scored two genius goals and then set up two for his fellow Musketeers. Substituted to standing ovation.
Mo Salah destroyed his old club, scoring two brilliant goals and setting up two more
Roberto Firmino – 8.5
Seemed to get as much pleasure setting up Salah’s two goals as scoring twice himself. A selfless performance brimming with quality
Sadio Mane – 7
Was set for a frustrating night when he skied two excellent chances, but was in the right place to convert Salah’s cutback
Manager: Jurgen Klopp – 8
His energy and intensity rubbed off on the players. Six of Liverpool’s starters plus Wijnaldum were signed by Klopp. This is his team and you could tell, though he may wish he’d kept Salah on longer.
Substitutes
Gino Wijnaldum (for Oxlade-Chamberlain, 18) – 6.5
Danny Ings (for Salah, 75) – 6
Klavan (for Firmino, 90)
Not used: Mignolet, Clyne, Moreno, Solanke
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp’s intensity and energy rubbed off on his players
ROMA
Alisson Becker – 6
Brazil’s No 1 looked assured until Salah beat him from distance. Must have felt like a coconut shy after that.
Federico Fazio – 4.5
Looked more like the player who flopped at Spurs than the one who has resurrected his career in Italy. Struggled against Mane.
Kostas Manolas – 6
Old-fashioned centre-half who got his boot and body but the movement of Liverpool’s forwards was just too much.
Juan Jesus – 5.5
Had the unenviable task of keeping Salah quiet. Safe to say he didn’t manage it. Booked for foul on Mane and substituted.
Federico Fazio looked like the player who flopped at Spurs as he struggled with Sadio Mane
Alessandro Florenzi – 6
Meant to be Roma’s outlet at right wing-back but couldn’t get the service to create problems. Defended well though.
Daniele Del Rossi – 6
Italian World Cup winner is now 34 and faded after a decent opening half-hour against Liverpool’s high-octane midfield. Substituted.
Kevin Strootman – 4.5
Not the same player as in 2014 when he was top of Manchester United’s shopping list until a serious knee injury. Struggled to make impact.
Aleksandr Kolarov – 5
Blistering shot hit the crossbar, but the defensive part of the former Man City player’s game was sorely lacking.
Cengiz Under – 4.5
So anonymous that when it was announced he’d been replaced at half-time, it was a reminder he’d actually been on the pitch for 45 minutes.
Edin Dzeko – 6
Held the ball up well on the rare occasions it got to him. Liverpool will know he’s the one to watch in the second leg and took his late goal well.
Radja Nainggolan – 5
Has a big reputation but the Belgian winger looked a million miles away from Salah, or even Mane and Firmino come to that.
Manager: Eusebio Di Francesco – 5.5
Must have been pleased with the opening 30 minutes but couldn’t find a way of stemming the tide once Liverpool had got in front.
Edin Dzeko took his goal well to provide Roma with faint hope for the second leg in Italy
Substitutes
Patrik Shick (for Under, 45) 6
Diego Perotti (for Jesus, 67) 6
Maxime Gonalons (for De Rossi, 67) 5.5
Not used: Skorupski, Pellegrini, Peres, El Shaarawy
Referee: Felix Brych (Germany) – 6.5
Let the game flow without resorting to his cards every time there was a foul. Not many Liverpool complaints for Roma’s late penalty.