Roma 4, Liverpool 2 (May 2018)

ROMA WERE TRYING TO pull off another miracle. They had just beaten Barcelona 3-0, wiping out a 4-1 aggregate deficit in the Champions League quarterfinals to advance on away goals. They needed a similar turnaround to undo the damage from a 5-2 loss to Liverpool in a harrowing first leg at Anfield.

Roma hadn't reached the semifinals of the Champions League before. The last time they were among the final four was in 1984 when the competition was known simply as the European Cup. Roma played Liverpool in that final as well — and at their own Stadio Olimpico — but lost to the Reds on penalties.

Liverpool were clear favourites on this occasion. They were unbeaten in the Champions League, had scored 44 goals up until this point of the competition, and boasted one of the game's best attacking tridents in Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, and Sadio Mane. But Roma had already found a way past Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Neymar, Barcelona's own holy trinity, and had the backing of the crowd once again.

The lineups

What the pregame formations looked like.

Roma coach Eusebio Di Francesco has a full lineup available. He asks forward Patrik Schick to play as winger and starts versatile midfielder Alessandro Florenzi at right-back. Daniele De Rossi captains Roma in his second-last season at the club. Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp mirrors Di Francesco's 4-3-3 formation, with Jordan Henderson anchoring a midfield three and many of his trusted figures in the starting XI.

The match

Reviewing the most important plays, including random thoughts about the teams and players in action. You can watch the game here.

1' The Stadio Olimpico roars after Edin Dzeko nods an early chance wide. There's a buzz in the stadium despite the overwhelming deficit. Roma aren't rolling over here.

4' It takes nearly four minutes for Liverpool to make an enterprising move. Salah gets on the ball and draws whistles from the crowd. It's his first match back in the Italian capital since making his €42-million move to Liverpool. He scored twice in the first leg and refused to celebrate his goals, but forgiveness is in short supply here.

9' What is Radja Nainggolan thinking? He's under a bit of pressure from James Milner but not enough of it to justify this scuff job. His back pass to center-back teammate Federico Fazio falls way short, and Firmino picks up the ball in stride. Mane dashes into space and shows for Firmino as he gets in behind the backpedaling Kostas Manolas. A couple of touches later, the ball is in the back of the net. Liverpool eradicate any positive momentum from Roma's bright start. The Giallorossi are now down four goals on aggregate. "It looks like Liverpool are in the Champions League final," co-commentator Clive Allen says.

15' A lifeline emerges for Roma. After surviving Liverpool's post-goal push, the hosts finally get to play some football. Nainggolan switches to Florenzi, who winds up for a cross into the area. The ball drops to Stephan El Shaarawy, and he heads it into the middle of the box. Dejan Lovren's clearance attempt smokes Milner in the face and ricochets past Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius. There's nothing anyone could do. It's 1-1 on the night and 6-3 Liverpool on aggregate.

17' Mane tries to curl another shot inside Alisson's far post, but the shot flashes wide. The crowd remembers its assignment and whistles Liverpool's every touch. Suddenly, the belief the Reds had initially wiped out has pumped up again.

24' Liverpool nearly profit from a lovely counterattack. The Reds quickly repel Roma's free kick from the halfway line, with Henderson releasing Andy Robertson on the far touchline. The pass is perfectly weighted, a 30-yard blessing that lands far enough ahead of Robertson for him to run onto it. The Scot sneaks past Florenzi with a dash of pace and races into the area before squaring for Mane inside the six-yard box. But Alisson denies his future teammate with a great kick save.

25' Bam. 2-1 Liverpool. 7-3 on aggregate. The relief from Alisson's marvellous reaction stop immediately gives way to embarrassment as Roma fail to deal with the resulting corner kick. Dzeko tries to clear his lines but heads it back toward the goalkeeper, and Georginio Wijnaldum simply nudges it past Alisson. Dzeko thinks Virgil van Dijk fouled him, but there's nothing there. "That might do it," says commentator Guy Mowbray.

35' Roma build up the play beautifully from their end of the field. Manolas and Fazio trade possession before Nainggolan flings the ball out wide. Aleksandar Kolarov's pass to El Shaarawy splits the defenders. El Shaarawy dribbles and shimmies to the right, and his right-footed shot smacks the post after glancing off deflection magnet Milner. Karius is well-beaten here. With a bit a luck, Roma would be level again.

38' Liverpool catch Roma on the break, and Salah is suddenly taking on Fazio. This is a duel the Egyptian should always win. Fazio is one of the slowest players on the pitch, but he never bites and waits long enough to block Salah's attempt. It's great defending.

44' Roma know time is against them. They don't waste any of it moving the ball up the field. They respond to Liverpool's counter with one of their own, and El Shaarawy nearly rounds Lovren as he tries to enter the penalty area. The Liverpool center-back picks up a yellow card for stopping the Italian international in his tracks.

49' Karius rushes out of his area to come and collect a loose pass before Dzeko can get to it and ends up chopping down the Bosnian striker. Luckily for Karius, the linesman has his flag up. It's offside. But replays suggest he may have been wrong. Dzeko seems level with Van Dijk as El Shaarawy releases him into space. Roma really should have a penalty here. With better luck, they could well have the lead.

52' Roma finally get their goal. El Shaarawy once again drives the play forward from the left flank. Trent Alexander-Arnold misses the chance to break up the initial pass out wide, and the miscue sets the Roma winger free. He tilts to his right and fires, and Dzeko calmly collects the rebound with his left foot before powering through with his right. None of Roma's players is celebrating — they know they still need three more goals to force extra time — but there's life in the stands again.

58' The crowd roars as Manolas prevents Salah from doing anything meaningful on the counterattack. The Greek defender gets in front of Salah and shields the ball before playing it back to Alisson. Salah hasn't been nearly as effective as he was in the first leg. He just doesn't have the time or space here. Roma are doing a good job defending against the counter despite committing so many players forward.

60' Karius makes himself big enough to deny substitute Cengiz Under from close range. De Rossi lifts an extraordinary ball for Under to meet in the area, and he holds off Robertson to get to it first. Karius drops back and dives to his right to collect the shot. If Under gets any better contact, it's a goal. Roma are seriously unlucky here. But De Rossi's pass is world class. The weight is perfect, and there's no friction as it travels about 30 yards.

63' That's a stonewall penalty. Roma are on the business end of another tough call. Alexander-Arnold stretches out as El Shaarawy runs onto a fortuitous rebound inside the six-yard box, and it strikes the Liverpool defender in the hand. He has his arms out to make himself bigger. The replays are damning. How does the referee miss this one? If it's called, it's probably a red card, too, because that shot is going in. "That's a good save," commentator Mowbray says. Alexander-Arnold would've avoided the controversy altogether had he simply cleared the ball when he had the chance. Instead, he strikes Schick, and the rebound lands in front of El Shaarawy for the fateful play. VAR would've been hard at work if the technology existed in 2018.

69' Alisson turns away a great chance with another kick save. Milner wrestles the ball off Fazio in the middle of the field and jets into the final third. It eventually makes its way to Salah on the right side of the area. His reverse pass to Firmino almost fools him, but he's onside when he finally takes his shot. Alisson sticks out his right foot to clear the danger.

76' De Rossi and El Shaarawy, the most active player on the pitch, have come off and the tempo has fallen dramatically. Have Roma given up? Florenzi's scissor challenge on Mane screams of frustration. It earns him a yellow card.

80' Karius makes another great save with Dzeko right in front of him. The Bosnian calls for Nainggolan to hit the diagonal pass, and he absolutely nails it, packing enough speed for it to soar past Alexander-Arnold. Dzeko takes two steps and shoots to Karius' left, but the 'keeper palms it away and Lovren hoofs the rebound clear. Thirty seconds later, Salah's battling Alisson on the other end of the field, and the Brazilian wins a risky tackle way outside of his area.

86' Nainggolan gives Roma a 3-2 lead with a low driven shot from about 25 yards out. He tells Kolarov exactly where he wants the ball as the full-back drifts inside, and he waits for it to roll before hammering the shot off the left post and in. He doesn't celebrate or give any kind of reaction, but that effort is worth a few points on its own. Karius can only watch it as it flies into the net.

90+4' Penalty Roma! Under clamors for a call after substitute Ragnar Klavan handles the ball. Florenzi turns away. He can't believe Roma have come so close to erasing the aggregate deficit. It's almost agonizing. Unlike Alexander-Arnold's handball incident, this one is actually less clear-cut. Klavan's arm is by his side. But the call stands. Nainggolan blasts it in. It's 4-2 Roma on the night but crucially, lamentably, still 7-6 Liverpool on aggregate. The referee blows the whistle immediately after kickoff. Liverpool players fall to their knees. Klopp runs onto the field. Roma have given everything. The crowd chants and applauds.