Soccer

Liverpool back to full strength for second leg with Roma

Italian side ditch back three and make changes up front

Sadio Mane is back in the Liverpool forward line alongside Mohamed Salah for the second leg of the Champions Cup demi-final against Roma. Photograph: John Sibley/Action Images via Reuters

Wed May 2 2018 - 19:04

Liverpool reverted to their strongest line-up for the Champions League semi-final second leg against Roma in the Italian capital on Wednesday night.

Manager Jürgen Klopp made four changes, two of which came in defence with Dejan Lovren and Andrew Robertson returning and Trent Alexander-Arnold back in his usual right back role, with James Milner coming into midfield and Sadio Mane brought in up front to play alongside Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah.

Roma, who abandoned their three-at-the-back experiment which they used in the 5-2 first-leg defeat at Anfield, brought in Stephan El Shaarawy up front after he was unavailable last week. He will form a three-man attack alongside Edin Dzeko and Patrik Schick.

Liverpool fans reported long queues to get into the Stadio Olimpico due to ticket checks and bag searches but a heavy police presence and organised coach shuttles from the city centre appeared to have ensured there was no trouble between rival supporters before the match.

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ROMA: Alisson; Florenzi, Manolas, Fazio, Kolarov; Pellegrini, De Rossi, Nainggolan; Schick, Dzeko, El Shaarawy.

Subs: Skorupski, Juan Jesus, Under, Gonalons, Bruno Peres, Gerson, Antonucci.

LIVERPOOL: Karius; Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Lovren, Robertson; Wijnaldum, Henderson, Milner; Salah, Firmino, Mane.

Subs: Mignolet, Clyne, Klavan, Moreno, Ings, Solanke, Woodburn.

Referee: Damir Skomina (Slovenia)

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