Whisper it quietly, but Liverpool may well have one foot in the Champions League final after a dominant performance at Anfield which saw them rack up 5-2 win against a disappointing Roma side.
The opening exchanges at Anfield were even enough, but after Karius inexplicably fumbled Alexander Kolarov's long range effort onto the crossbar, Liverpool took control of the game.
Mané had a good chance and a goal disallowed but a brace by former Roma player Mohamed Salah saw the Merseyside club go in two nil up at the break.
In the BT Sport studio Rio Ferdinand tore into Roma manager Eusebio Di Francesco's tactics at half time:
The way this team has been set up is ridiculous. Schoolboy tactics. He couldn't have watched Liverpool this season, the way they're playing on the half way line, pressing. No pressure on the ball and they've got defenders who aren't quick. He's played straight into Liverpool's hands, and we've said it before the game, and it's panned out that way exactly in the first half.
Frank Lampard added that if Roma continued to play as they did in the first half that Di Francesco should cover his eyes. Di Francesco would have done well to follow Lampard's advice apart from Roma's late burst which saw them claw two goals back through a Dzeko shot and a debatable penalty from Perotti.
"The way this team has been set up is ridiculous" - Rio Ferdinand says Roma have played straight into #LFC's hands in the opening half. #LIVROM #UCL pic.twitter.com/tUROnm8qIZ
— eir Sport (@eirSport) April 24, 2018
After the game Ferdinand reiteated his opinion that Di Francesco had a lot to answer for Roma's capitulation:
I think the Roma manager has to take full responsibility for the result tonight. Its not often you say that a manager is completely at fault for a team's performance. I think today he's let his players down, the way he's set them up.
"When you go 5-0 up, you have to kill the game" - Steven Gerrard says #LFC 'came down the gears' to give Roma a glimmer of hope in the final ten minutes. #LIVROM pic.twitter.com/qaVfAvYbB1
— eir Sport (@eirSport) April 24, 2018
The fact that Roma did manage to salvage two away goals from the tie will worry Liverpool fans, but if Roma's defence is half as porous as it was tonight, then Liverpool should have enough to put the tie to bed next Wednesday.
