The view from Roma: Dzeko, Salah and a 'head-scratcher'
With Liverpool and AS Roma set to face off in the first of two Champions League semi-final matches on Tuesday night, we sought an expert view on what to expect from the Serie A club at Anfield and across the tie.
John Solano runs AS Roma Press, a website dedicated to the exploits of the Italian side, and last summer told us – with sublime prescience – that Mohamed Salah was ‘teetering on greatness’ as he completed a move to the Reds.
By a quirk of fate, the two teams now do battle for a place in the final of Europe’s elite club competition – after Jürgen Klopp’s men eliminated Manchester City and Roma produced a stunning comeback to defeat FC Barcelona in the last eight.
We caught up with John again for the lowdown on I Giallorossi’s recent form, key players and likely approach on Merseyside…
Can Roma fans believe what has happened in this Champions League run?
I think for many supporters it still feels like a dream and we’re waiting for someone to pinch us and wake us up. Roma’s performances this season in the Champions League have been sensational. While it is certainly surprising that they’ve made it this far into the competition, nobody can say that it’s undeserved.
Where does the comeback against Barcelona rank in the club’s recent history?
It’s undoubtedly up there in the pantheon of historical Roma performances. Roma’s history in the competition isn’t exactly illustrious so when a huge result such as this arrives, it almost immediately catapults itself into the top tier of moments in the club’s history.
Tell us about Eusebio Di Francesco and how he has changed Roma this season...
He’s changed Roma quite a bit this season. Beyond the tactical and technical changes, the biggest change we’ve seen from Roma, particularly in the Champions League, is their mentality. I Giallorossi have played with conviction that we haven’t seen in nearly a decade in Rome. Di Francesco has brought a stronger mentality as well as a much more balanced and organised side.
Roma have been excellent at home but lost three in a row away from home in the tournament. Is there a weakness there?
It’s really a head-scratcher because if you look at Roma’s away form in Serie A, it is actually much better than their home form. I do think Roma have some difficulties away from home but they’ve shown on big occasions that they can be up for it.
How do you expect them to line up at Anfield, in terms of both personnel and tactics?
This is really difficult to predict because in the second leg against Barcelona, that was the first time Eusebio Di Francesco opted to use a three-man defence, which is certainly something he could use again versus Liverpool. However, I do expect Di Francesco to opt for his preferred 4-3-3 formation with Alisson in goal, a defence consisting of Florenzi-Manolas-Fazio-Kolarov, a midfield three that includes Nainggolan-De Rossi-Strootman, and capped off with an attack of Cengiz Ünder-Dzeko-Perotti.
I do think Di Francesco will, as usual, try to take a balanced approach against Liverpool. I Giallorossi actually implemented this very well in the first leg against Barcelona; however, they were extremely unlucky as they conceded two own goals. Against Liverpool at Anfield, though, I don’t expect Roma to take many risks.
Who is Roma’s most important player?
Edin Dzeko. Roma have had big problems finding the back of the net this season and the Bosnian No.9 has almost single-handedly carried the attack. Dzeko is without question the focal point of Eusebio Di Francesco’s attacking approach.
How do Roma fans feel about Salah and his performances this season?
Roma supporters still hold Mo in high regard. He was an extremely popular player in Rome and always honoured the shirt. I don’t think many are surprised by his performances this season because he was sensational during his two years at the club and showed he had the ability to be a world-class attacker.
What is your prediction for this game, and the tie as a whole?
This is extremely difficult: the heart says one thing while the head says another. My heart undoubtedly says that Roma have the ability to knock out Liverpool, especially after what they showed against Barcelona; however, my head says Liverpool’s potent attack could prove too much. I think the Reds will win the first leg by a score of 3-1. However, anything could happen in Rome – as we saw against Barcelona.