Jurgen Klopp says Roma will pose as formidable a challenge as Real Madrid or Bayern Munich after Liverpool were paired with the Italians in the Champions League semi-final.
Liverpool will face Mohamed Salah’s former club at Anfield on April 24 before travelling to Italy eight days later.
Liverpool defeated Roma in 1984 European Cup Final, Alan Kennedy famously striking the winning penalty in a shoot-out in Rome’s Olympic Stadium. The sides also met when Liverpool won the UEFA Cup in 2001, Michael Owen’s double in Italy inspiring victory for Gerard Houllier’s side during the earlier round. There was also an emotional meeting in 2002, Houllier returning from serious illness to lead his team to victory.
Bayern Munich were drawn to face Real Madrid at the Allianz Arena in the first leg of their tie.
Roma may have been considered the most attractive of the remaining sides, but Klopp will not see it that way – particularly given how they fought back to overcome Barcelona.
LIVERPOOL have earned a dream Champions League semi-final, drawing Roma.
Defending champions Real Madrid will play Bayern Munich in the semi-finals of the Champions League while Liverpool face AS Roma.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Real will go to Bayern’s Allianz Arena for the first leg while Liverpool will host Roma at Anfield in their first match, after Friday’s draw.
Real, who have won the competition 12 times, reached the semi-finals by fighting off a remarkable Juventus comeback before Ronaldo scored a late penalty to give them a 4-3 win on aggregate.
Roma produced one of the most remarkable comebacks in Champions League history to knock out Lionel Messi’s Barcelona with a 3-0 victory in the Italian capital that gave them an unexpected win on away goals over the two legs.
Bundesliga champions Bayern, who named Niko Kovac as their next coach minutes before the draw, eased past Sevilla in their quarter-final.
Liverpool beat runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City 5-1 on aggregate to set up their meeting with Roma, a repeat of the 1984 European Cup final that the English side won on penalties.
Champions League semi-finals
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
Liverpool v Roma
EUROPA LEAGUE
ARSENAL will face Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals of the Europa League in a mouth-watering clash of two big clubs that have taken a backseat in their domestic leagues in recent years.
French club Marseille will play FC Salzburg, the club backed by soft drinks giant Red Bull, in the other semi-final.
Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal will play the first leg at the Emirates Stadium against Atletico, led by French striker Antoine Griezmann, who are favourites to win the competition for the third time.
The first legs will take place on April 26 with the second on May 3.
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The UEFA Champions League semi-final draw took place this afternoon. Did Real Madrid and Bayern Munich avoid each other?
Click through the mini-gallery above to see the top goalscorer of each team left in the Champions League.
Real Madrid have reached the semi-finals for the eighth successive season, and the 12-time winners are on the hunt to become the first side to lift the Champions League title in three consecutive seasons.
Los Blancos have once again been drawn against German giants Bayern Munich, whom they have eliminated from the competition in their past two knockout ties.
Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool and AS Roma, who upset FC Barcelona in the previous round, will meet in the other semi-final.
Both have been absent from this stage of the competition for quite some time, with Liverpool making their last semi-final appearance in 2007/08, while Roma only once reached this stage before, in the 1983/84 campaign.Liverpool have reached the semi-final stage for the first time since 2007/08, and will be keen to reach their first final since their 2-1 defeat to AC Milan in 2007.
Here are the confirmed semi-finals:
Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid
Liverpool vs AS Roma
Read: Seven UCL Records Held By Ronaldo
The first legs will be played on Tuesday, 24 April, and Wednesday, 25 April, while the return fixtures will take place on 1 and 2 May. This year's Champions League final will be hosted at the NSC Olimpiyskiy stadium in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Which two teams do you think will progress to the final? Have your say in the comments section below.
The UEFA Champions League semi-final draw will take place today, and could produce some massive clashes. Will Real Madrid face Bayern Munich? Will Mohamed Salah get his former club AS Roma?
UPDATE: The semi-final draw has since taken place and you read the outcome here!
The UEFA Champions League semi-final draw took place this afternoon. Read about both semi-finals here! #SLInt https://t.co/CVLZoHXC0d — Soccer Laduma (@Soccer_Laduma) April 13, 2018
We have seen some great European clashes this week, with Roma eliminating LaLiga leaders FC Barcelona, while Juventus had defending champions Real on the brink of an exit. There are now only four teams left in the competition, namely: Liverpool, Real, Roma and Bayern.
Zinedine Zidane's Los Blancos are the defending champions and could become the first side to lift the trophy in three successive years. They have reached the semi-finals a club record-breaking eighth consecutive year, and won the competition in three of the past four years.
Overall, this will be Real's 28th semi-final appearance, while Bayern Munich have reached this stage for the 19th time. However, they were eliminated in their last three semi-final appearances (all against Spanish sides) and will be keen to avoid a fourth successive knockout at the penultimate hurdle.
A Bayern versus Real match-up would arguably be the biggest clash, and the German giants would be keen to get one over the Spanish side after Los Blancos beat them 5-0 on aggregate at this stage in 2013/14
Liverpool have reached their 10th semi-final after upsetting Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, but it will be their first participation in the last four since 2007/08. There could be a reunion between the Reds' in-form Egyptian Mohamed Salah and his former club AS Roma if the two sides are drawn against each other. The Italian club has reached only their second UCL semi-final ever, with their other appearance coming in 1983/84.
Real have won the competition 12 times, while Bayern and Liverpool each have five European Cup/Champions League trophies in their cabinets, and Roma are yet to lift a European title.
Read: What Ronaldo Told Buffon After UCL Drama
The first legs will be played on Tuesday, 24 April, and Wednesday, 25 April, while the return fixtures will take place on 1 and 2 May. This year's Champions League final will be hosted at the NSC Olimpiyskiy stadium in Kyiv, Ukraine.
The draw will take place in Nyon, Switzerland, at 13:00 SA time, and Soccer Laduma will bring you all the live updates.
Which two semi-final ties would you like to see? Have your say in the comments section below.
