Liverpool reminded of past glories ahead of Roma semi

Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp is hoping the famous Anfield atmosphere will help his side revive memories of old when they host AS Roma in Tuesday's semi-final first leg.

This season's Champions League charge was summed up by Liverpool's quarterfinal defeat of Manchester City, which was set up by fans outside Anfield attacking the City team bus and those inside creating a cauldron of noise to spook the now Premier League champions.

The huge flags will again be waving against Roma, the Kop will come alive and 'You'll Never Walk Alone' will fill the air. Klopp just hopes the supporters behave.

"In the stadium do it again, even better, outside the stadium show the respect we have to show. We don't need to throw whatever at a bus," he told a news conference on Monday.

"Let's show how wonderful the people and the city are so the whole world knows. They create one of the most special atmospheres in world football."

Their 2-2 draw at the Premier League's bottom side West Bromwich Albion was not the perfect preparation but Anfield at its best will soon get the hosts back in the groove for Tuesday.

Roma, who beat SPAL 3-0 at the weekend, will fully expect to face an onslaught early on. But being used to the often fervent Stadio Olimpico means Anfield on a European night might not be such a shock, even against a Reds side with such heritage in this competition.

Liverpool won four European Cups in seven seasons between 1977 and 1984, the last of which came after a final against Roma in Rome.

Wobbly legs

It was a memorable showpiece with Liverpool prevailing on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar famously used the wobbly legs technique to put Roma's penalty takers off. It was a glorious moment for Liverpool to win the trophy again in a team's own backyard but it was to be their last European Cup triumph until the shock 2005 title.

Klopp wants the opposite to happen and this Roma clash to be the beginning of something special for Liverpool, not the end.

The former Borussia Dortmund boss is dreaming of the final in Kyiv on May 26 when he could of course come face to face again with familiar foes Bayern Munich, if they overcome holders Real Madrid. Klopp's Dortmund side lost to Bayern in the 2013 final.

Liverpool's German stopper Loris Karius is unlikely to be trying out Grobbelaar's jelly legs at Anfield but he might ask teammate Mohamed Salah where Roma are likely to place any spot-kicks.

Premier League top scorer Salah, who won the English Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year award on Sunday, played for Roma from 2015 to 2017 alongside the likes of Edin Dzeko and Daniele De Rossi.

Roma, in their first semi since 1984, will now be wondering why they sold the Egyptian to Liverpool comparatively cheaply for 42 million euros (52 million dollars) after he scored his 31st Premier League goal of the campaign on Saturday.

But at least they know what they are in for.

"We know what (Salah) is capable of and we know he's in brilliant form," Roma winger Bruno Peres said. "We have to remember that he's a constant threat but they're going to have to worry about us too because we didn't get this far by chance."

Roma's incredible comeback victory over Barcelona in the quarter-finals has lifted the whole club and now they believe they can down Liverpool, with one man in their minds as they travel to Anfield. 

Agostino Di Bartolomei, who captained boyhood club Roma in that 1984 final, was hugely affected by the devastating defeat on penalties. Ten years to the day after the Liverpool loss, Di Bartolomei took his own life by firing a bullet through his heart.