LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Friday, January 5, 2018: Liverpool's manager J¸rgen Klopp before the FA Cup 3rd Round match between Liverpool FC and Everton FC, the 230th Merseyside Derby, at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Forward duo hunting a record & Klopp’s 150th game in charge – Liverpool vs. Roma pre-match stats

Liverpool host Roma tonight in the Champions League semi-final first leg; here are all the best stats and facts for the match ahead of kick-off.

 

We’ve been here before

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - Tuesday, April 10, 2018: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring the first goal to equalise and make the score 1-1 during the UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final 2nd Leg match between Manchester City FC and Liverpool FC at the City of Manchester Stadium. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

The Reds are at the semi-final stage for the first time since 2008, when they were defeated by Chelsea. They drew the first leg at home 1-1 before going down 3-2 in London.

This is their 18th semi-final in European competition and their 10th in the European Cup.

Of the 17 they have played at Anfield they have won 13, with three draws and a single defeat – to Leeds in the 1971 Fairs Cup. They have won eight and drawn one of the last nine of those games at Anfield.

The Reds hope to reach their 13th final and their eighth in Europe’s premier club competition.

In the previous nine European Cup semi-finals they have lost only twice: against Inter Milan in 1965 and Chelsea in 2008.

The previous time the last four of this competition was represented by a team from each of England, Germany, Italy and Spain was 1981. That year Liverpool lifted the trophy defeating Real Madrid in the final thanks to Alan Kennedy’s goal in Paris.

 

At both ends of the pitch

Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius and Dejan Lovren celebrate at the end of the match - Nigel French/EMPICS Sport

In total, the Reds have found the net 39 times in Europe this season – extending their club record.

Roberto Firmino and Mo Salah have both registered nine goals which equals the club record of most goals scored in a single European campaign, along with Dean Saunders who did so in the 1991-92 UEFA Cup campaign in just five appearances.

Liverpool have found the net in 13 of their last 14 European games home and away.

The Reds have not conceded a goal at home in the last five games at Anfield in league and cup, since Michail Antonio scored for West Ham in February. That is their longest run since 2006-07 when they recorded eight home clean sheets in succession.

Meanwhile, they have kept nine clean sheets in their last 15 matches.

The Reds have kept six clean sheets in their last eight Champions League games.

 

He’s boss

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - Tuesday, April 10, 2018: Liverpool's manager Jürgen Klopp celebrates after the 2-1 (5-1 aggregate) victory over Manchester City during the UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final 2nd Leg match between Manchester City FC and Liverpool FC at the City of Manchester Stadium. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Jurgen Klopp has suffered defeat in two of his 25 European games while in charge at Anfield – the best record of any Liverpool manager in Europe over the same number of games from the beginning of their tenure.

The Reds have scored 56 goals in that time.

Tonight will see him take charge of the Reds for the 150th time. He has won 79 and drawn 42 with 28 defeats.

Klopp has faced Italian clubs in three ties during his managerial career. Of the six games he has won two and lost four.

The Reds have lost only one of the last 20 European matches at Anfield and are unbeaten at home in the last 15, winning 10 and drawing five.

 

Egyptian King

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring his side's second goal during the Premier League match at Anfield, Liverpool.

Mo Salah has scored in each of the last nine games at Anfield in league and cup in which he has started, scoring 14 times in that run.

Salah is playing in his third European semi-final and has been eliminated on both previous occasions.

His next goal will see him set a new club record by scoring in a 33rd different game in a single campaign – the record held by Ian Rush since 1983-84.

 

Eye on the opposition

Edin Dzeko, Roma (Foto Cesare Purini / Insidefoto cesarexpurini.)

This will be Roma’s 21st tie against English opposition – they have won four and lost nine of the 13 played in knock-out format.

They have suffered elimination in each of the last six clashes with English clubs after winning the previous three.

In England they have played 19 times, winning only once – at Anfield in 2001 UEFA Cup (1-0).

Since their victory at Anfield in 2001, they have not kept a clean sheet in 11 visits to this country.

Roma have won only one of their last 14 away games in the Champions League (at Qarabag this season) and in this competition have not kept a clean sheet in 27 games away from the Stadio Olimpico since recording a 2-0 win in Lyon back in 2007.

They have yet to concede a goal at home this season in five Champions League games – equalling their best sequence in the European Cup.

Edin Dzeko is Roma’s leading scorer in Europe this season with six goals, with four of those coming in his five away appearances.

When scoring twice against Napoli last month he became the first player ever to score 50 goals in the Bundesliga, Premier League and Serie A.

* Stats courtesy of LFC statistician Ged Rea.

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