When was the last great international competition? Erm, um, ah ... Euro 2000? When was the last great Champions League? It's happening right now; it's always happening right now. And this semi-final tie encapsulates why. Hardly anyone thought Liverpool could eliminate Manchester City and yet they did, dispensing a savage kicking in a ferocious atmosphere; and hardly anyone thought Roma could eliminate Barcelona and yet they did, dispensing a different kind of savage kicking in a different kind of ferocious atmosphere. As such, no one knows for certain what will happen in this semi-final tie, and yet everyone knows for absolute certain that whatever does happen, it will be unmissable. As human beings, it is our compulsion and it is our duty to wade right in.

Champions League / Semi-final

Anfield / 24.04.2018

Liverpool

Completed

AS Roma

M. Salah(35', 45')
S. Mané(56')
R. Firmino(61', 68')

E. Dzeko(81')
D. Perotti(85' PEN)

Live

Live Updates

ByDan Quarrell

Updated 24/04/2018 at 20:40 GMT

14'

Florenzi finds Dzeko, who controls with a very pleasant touch, finding Nainggolan who finds Kolarov. His cross isn't flat enough or whipped enough, so Karius catches, but the move itself was a decent example of what Roma are looking to do.

12'

There's no real pattern to the game at the moment, which I reckon favours Liverpool. Roma want to control midfield and defend counters; Liverpool want to strike in broken play.

10'

But there's Florenzi, flighting a gentle cross into the middle ... and Lovren deals with it easily. There follows some indiscriminate, indeterminate noise, when Jesus slips into a tackle with Salah and the ref waves play on.

Roma are pulling five men back when Liverpool have the ball. I wonder how this will affect Dzeko, because Florenzi was his main butler against Barca.

Liverpool are into this now, Firmino leaping for a high ball, dazzling Manolas with his newtons and picking up the pieces when his knockdown is bumbled along by Milner. He squares for Oxlade-Chamberlain, who shoots wide.

Oh! There's that high line! Salah holds up, Jesus can't get around him at the ball, and instead a pass goes into the space for Firmino. His first touch takes him wide, so he drills a hard, low cross, across the face but to no one. It turns out he was offside, but the lino's flag is bust and all he can do is poke out a stick.

The Anfield atmosphere is visible from space.

Roma are playing a really high line. If they forget to put pressure on the ball, or if Liverpool's passers can find their runners, they'll have a problem. Either way, it means that they're here to have a shy, which means we're going to enjoy ourselves a game.

Lovren sticks a pass in behind Jesus and Salah is onto it, coming inside and curling a tame effort that Alisson - a supposed target for Liverpool - snaffles easily.

Nice from Roma, Kolarov into Dzeko, back to goal inside the box, He holds and rolls back for Strootman, who passes a curler into Karius's grateful bosom.

Immediately Roma get the ball and move it around and backwards, looking to take the heat out of things. Then the push forward and look to pin Alexander-Arnold in the corner; he clears into Kolarov and the crowd exult in the eventuating throw.

On we go!

19:45