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

19:33

Arance e limoni dì le campane di St Clement's.

19:32

Phwoaar.

19:29

"We always play our football," declares Jurgen Klopp. That's true, and against Roma that might be enough; hell, it may even be enough against Bayern or Madrid, but at this level, opponents require particular plans. I wonder if he's made them.

19:28

I wonder if Liverpool have a plan for Dzeko, or at least if Van Dijk will be doing all he can to be his marker. Physically, he has far too much for Lovren, never mind technically.

19:27

19:26

But as Liverpool fans will attest, things outside were hairy, and I'm sad to say that still appears to be the case.

19:25

And here's Steve Nicol with his memories.

19:24

Of course, these teams have met before. I was 5, and this was the first big game I was allowed to stay up and watch. It was epic.

19:23

You've got to hand it to Roma's Twitter - they do put it in.

19:20

Is this the most handsome trophy out there? I definitely would.

19:19

19:18

Breaking: many people preferred shouting at buses to relaxing in the pub with their mates, but the Roma one took a different route. I wonder if a bit of shouting is as intimidating as Napoli away.

19:15

I should add that Roma make one change to the team which beat Barca: Cengiz is in for Shick alongside Dzeko.

19:11

Roma have gone for a back three again, a system which worked very nicely against Barcelona. But it's brave to go man for man against Salah, Firmino and Mane though, on the other hand, a five-man midfield - and one with De Rossi-Strootman-Nainggolan in the middle - ought to be able to control the pace of things. As a team, they'll know that if they can survive the first half-hour, they'll be in with a terrific chance, and will fancy themselves to snaffle a goal as Liverpool tire, an unavoidable consequence of the frantic way they go about things.

19:07

On the other hand, Roma will fancy themselves against that defence. It's not at all long ago that Marcus Rashford gave Trent Alexander-Arnold a right going-over, and even less long ago that Edin Dzeko wiped the floor with Samuel Umtiti and Gerard Pique. He'll fancy himself against Dejan Lovren in particular, but if he plays as he did against Barcelona, as a one-man forward-line, Liverpool have a problem.

19:05

So Liverpool are as expected: their front three as their front three, i.e. non-negotiable, and they keep the same back four and midfield three as against Manchester City. It's remarkable really, the football they've been able to play with Milner, Henderson and Oxlade-Chamberlain in the engine room, and makes a nonsense of the excuses offered for negativity by other managers.

19:05

19:04

19:03

Shall we have some teams? Let's have some teams.

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