Scoring three goals without conceding against elite opposition in the Champions League? Impossible for some. Not for AS Roma.
After being cracked open by Liverpool at Anfield, the Giallorossi could at least take solace in the fact that they’d been in exactly the same position against Barcelona heading into the second leg of the quarter-finals.
So there’s more than enough reason to keep tabs on the action at Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday night – though it would indeed beggar belief if a free-scoring Liverpool didn’t find the back of the net.
Check out the stats behind Mohamed Salah and Liverpool’s remarkable campaign, and how history stacks for Roma as they bid to turn around the 5-2 deficit, below.
AS ROMA
· Only four teams have progressed after a 5-2 away defeat in the first leg of a European two-legged knockout tie, all in the now-defunct Fairs Cup/UEFA Cup.
· AS Roma have netted at least three goals in three different Champions League matches this season – a 3-3 away draw and 3-0 home win in the group stage versus Chelsea and a 3-0 home triumph in the quarter-final second leg against Barcelona (to progress on away goals).
· Edin Dzeko has scored seven Champions League goals this season, the most by a Roma player in a single CC/CL campaign.
· Dzeko could become the first player to score in five consecutive Champions League matches for an Italian team since Alvaro Morata for Juventus from May to September 2015.
· Daniele De Rossi (56) is one short of equalling Francesco Totti (57) as the player to make the most Champions League appearances for Roma.
LIVERPOOL
· Liverpool have conceded at least three goals in five Champions League knockout stage matches, but none of those five fixtures produced a scoreline that would eliminate the Reds in the second leg ofthe semi-final against Roma.
· Liverpool will play their 100th match in the Champions League. Manchester United (214), Arsenal (177) and Chelsea (156) are the English clubs to have already achieved this landmark.
· Liverpool are unbeaten in 13 Champions League matches (W7-D6-L0), since a 1-0 away group stage defeat against Real Madrid on November 4, 2014. The Reds could equal their longest CL unbeaten run- 14 matches from December 2004 to December 2005 (including the 2004/05 final).
· Liverpool (38) are the leading Champions League goalscorers this campaign. Only Barcelona (45 in 1999/2000) and Real Madrid (41 in 2013/14) netted more goals in a single CL season.
· Salah’s 10 Champions League goals this campaign are at least two more than any other African player has netted in a single season – eight by Samuel Eto’o for Internazionale in 2010/11 and Sadio Mane for Liverpool in 2017/18.
· Salah could become the second player to net in four consecutive Liverpool Champions League matches, after Steven Gerrard scored in five in a row from October 2007 to February 2008.
· Roberto Firmino (10) has equalled the Champions League record for most goals by a Brazilian player in a single season – also 10 by Mario Jardel (1999/2000 for FC Porto), Rivaldo (1999/2000 for Barcelona), Kaka (2006/07 for AC Milan) and Neymar (2014/15 for Barcelona).
· Salah (10), Firmino (10) and Sadio Mane (8) are Liverpool’s three leading Champions League goalscorers this season. This is the first time a team has had more than two players net at least eight CL goals in a single campaign.
