Roma head coach Eusebio Di Francesco believes his side can overturn the three goal deficit from the first leg in Rome to reach the Champions League Final.

Jurgen Klopp's press conference following Liverpool's victory over AS Roma was interrupted by someone apparently desperate to enter the room.

Нападающий английского «Ливерпуля» Мохамед Салах станет обладателем участка земли в одном из священных мусульманских городов – Мекке. Такой подарок египтянину решили сделать власти Саудовской Аравии.

Азиатское государства решило таким образом наградить футболиста за то, что он стал обладателем звания лучшего игрока АПЛ по версии ФИФА.

Салах – соперник сборной России на групповом этапе чемпионата мира-2018.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp sees the positives from his side's first leg against Roma, even though they gave up two goals in the second half. LIVERPOOL -- England midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has suffered a "knee ligament injury" that will end his season with Liverpool and rule him out of the World Cup. Oxlade-Chamberlain was stretchered off early in the first half of Liverpool's 5-2 win over Roma in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal at Anfield on Tuesday. The midfielder underwent a scan on Wednesday where it was confirmed he had sustained a ligament injury, after Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp had said after the game...

Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has suffered a devastating double blow after being ruled out of the rest of the season and this summer's World Cup.

Oxlade-Chamberlain was stretchered off after landing awkwardly on his left knee during the early stages of the 5-2 semi-final first leg win over Roma at Anfield on Tuesday night.

And his worst fears were realised when scans on Wednesday confirmed the 24-year-old has suffered a knee ligament injury.

While no definitive timeline has been set for his rehabilitation, Oxlade-Chamberlain will definitely miss the remainder of Liverpool's campaign – including a possible Champions League final – and will not be part of the England squad heading to Russia.

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Oxlade-Chamberlain, who was at Melwood on Wednesday, called Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate earlier in the day to inform him of the news.

It's a heartbreaking setback for the midfielder, who has been in excellent form having become an integral part of Jurgen Klopp's side following his £35million arrival from Arsenal last summer.

Klopp's midfield options are now severely limited for the coming weeks with Emre Can and Adam Lallana having only a slender chance of featuring again this campaign.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain of Liverpool brought off after being injured against Roma (Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

The injury means Oxlade-Chamberlain will miss his second successive World Cup after being injured on the eve of the tournament four years ago.

A statement on the Liverpool website read: "Liverpool FC can confirm Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's 2017-18 season is over for both club and country due to a knee ligament injury sustained against AS Roma on Tuesday evening.

"The extent of the injury means Oxlade-Chamberlain is set to miss the remainder of the campaign for Liverpool, as well as the World Cup finals in Russia with England.

Read More

"The 24-year-old was assessed by the club’s medical team at Melwood on Wednesday morning and no specific timescale is being placed upon his return to action at this stage.

"However, Oxlade-Chamberlain will now begin a rehabilitation programme to enable him to reach full fitness again as soon as possible, returning to action next season."


 Worst fears realised after Reds midfielder suffered injury during Champions League semi-final against Roma


Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will miss the World Cup after he suffered a knee ligament injury against Roma, Liverpool have confirmed.

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"Ливерпуль" ожидает возвращения в строй полузащитника Алекса Окслейд-Чемберлена к началу следующего сезона.

Окслейд-Чемберлен был одним из лучших игроков команды Юргена Клоппа во второй половине этого сезона, однако накануне вечером Алекс получил травму колена уже в первом тайме полуфинального матча Лиги Чемпионов против "Ромы".

Повреждение оказалось настолько серьезным, что экс-игрок "Арсенала" не смог самостоятельно покинуть поле и был унесен на носилках. После победы 5:2 Клопп признался, что у него плохое предчувствие насчет Алекса.

Как передает Daily Mirror, в среду 24-летний полузащитник прошел углубленное обследование. Докторам еще предстоит вынести свой вердикт, но абсолютно худший сценарий миновал.

Игрок сборной Англии действительно пропустит концовку клубного сезона, а также Чемпионат Мира в России, но должен вернуться к началу следующей кампании.

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Ronan Keating was right. If you're a Liverpool supporter, life most certainly is a rollercoaster.

How else to explain the emotions at the final whistle after the Reds' remarkable 5-2 Champions League semi-final first leg win over Roma?

Anfield was rocking on Tuesday night for the most part but those two late away goals will make things intriguing for the return in Italy next week.

In the latest Blood Red podcast, regular host and Liverpool reporter Ian Doyle is joined by ECHO triumvirate Kristian Walsh, Joe Rimmer and Paul Gorst to pick through the bones of a lively evening for Jurgen Klopp's side.

Read More Latest Liverpool podcasts

All are upbeat about Liverpool's chances of progress to the final, not least as they possess a three-goal lead.

Mohamed Salah dominates the discussion, with the question being asked whether the Egyptian, on form, is the best footballer on the planet.

Roberto Firmino is praised, but midfield has become a concern given the injury to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Kristian, meanwhile, makes one of his trademark predictions that, this time at least, we hope he's spot on with.

Read More

Oh, and there's a bit of discussion about Stoke City on Saturday. There's a game on, don't forget.

It gets lively. It's always entertaining.

Enjoy.

Don't miss any of our regular Blood Red podcasts absolutely free by subscribing here :

On Apple Podcasts

1) Search for Blood Red and find the Liverpool Echo podcast or go straight to https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/blood-red/id1109064476

2) Click subscribe under the Blood Red podcast logo.

3) If you like what you've heard, give us a nice rating - it helps us reach even more fans.


 In the latest Blood Red podcast, Ian Doyle is joined by Kristian Walsh, Joe Rimmer and Paul Gorst to discuss the last few days of all things Anfield


It's not every season you get a seven-goal thriller in a Champions League semi-final first leg.

In fact, it's never happened before.

But then, has there ever been a football team quite like the one Jurgen Klopp has constructed at Liverpool?

And for 80 minutes, they delivered almost the perfect performance until shipping two late goals to give Roma a glimmer of hope despite being beaten 5-2.

Read More

Yours truly was on ratings duty at Anfield on Tuesday night and, while sorely, sorely tempted to wheel out the 10, decided to keep it for the most special of occasions.

Instead, both Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino were given a 9 with a clutch of players scoring 8.

None of the players who featured for more than 20 minutes scored less than 7.

Liverpool fans were even more appreciative, with Salah averaging 9.6, one of the highest scores since the ECHO started rating players.

Read More

While Firmino averaged an impressive 9.1, only James Milner scored at least an 8, although five other players were above 7.5.

At the other end of the ratings, Lovren notched only a 6.3.

Bit harsh, you lot.

Time Line What you said

1. Mohamed Salah - 9.6

   Genius

2. Roberto Firmino - 9.1

   Incredible

3. James Milner - 8.0

   Never stopped

4. Jordan Henderson - 7.9

   Captain's knock

5. Virgil van Dijk - 7.8

   Defended well

6. Andy Robertson - 7.7

   Bombed on

7. Gini Wijnaldum - 7.7

   Made a difference

8. Trent Alexander-Arnold - 7.6

   Played his part

9. Sadio Mane - 7.1

   Bad miss but got his goal

10. Loris Karius - 67

    Bit bored

11. Dejan Lovren - 6.3

    Made a mistake

12. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - 6.1

    Injury a low point

13. Danny Ings - 5.6

    Barely got a kick

What everyone else said

Of course, other ratings are available. And the national media were unanimous about who to praise.

The Mirror regarded Salah perfect with 10, ahead of Firmino on 9.

The Mail do things by halves and regarded Salah best on 9 ahead of Firmino on 8.5.

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The Express gave Salah 10 ahead of Henderson on 9.

Meanwhile, the Daily Star also handed Salah a top mark of 10, but also gave Firmino the same score.

Finally, the number-crunchers at WhoScored.com calculated not only was Salah a perfect 10, but Firmino was too.


 Fans and media knew which two players to praise after the Reds' remarkable Champions League semi-final first leg against Roma


[unable to retrieve full-text content]<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" standalone="yes"?> Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says the timing of his departure from the club after nearly 22 years "was not really my decision".

Jorge Mendes acts for Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho and Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo

Championship winners Wolves have had their relationship with super agent Jorge Mendes approved by the EFL, who deem him as not a 'relevant person'.

Wolves were invited to meet with the EFL over the close bond between club owners Fosun and Mendes, following criticism from Championship rivals.

But the EFL have made a comprehensive review of details provided by Wolves.

And they have concluded that "there is no requirement" for Mendes to submit to the owners' and directors' test.

As well as Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho and Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, Mendes acts for Wolves head coach Nuno and two of the club's fellow Portuguese star players, Ruben Neves and Diogo Jota.

More to follow.

Главный тренер юношеской команды "Ливерпуль" Стивен Джеррард в следующем сезоне может возглавить "Рейнджерс", утверждает Todomercadoweb.es. Отмечается, что президент шотландского клуба Дэйв Кинг уже связался с бывшим полузащитником сборной Англии, чтобы обсудить детали контракта. 

Напомним, что Стивен Джеррард возглавляет юношескую команду "Ливерпуля" с сентября прошлого года. Главным тренером "Рейнджерс" с 10 февраля 2017 года явлется Грэм Марти.

В чемпионате Шотландии "Рейнджерс" за четыре тура до окончания турнира идет на втором месте с 65 очками. Команда уступает 10 баллов "Селтику".

"Ливерпуль" выступил с официальным заявлением по поводу избиения фаната перед матчем 1/2 финала Лиги чемпионов против "Ромы" (5:2). Инцидент произошел в баре незадолго до стартового свистка. Два болельщика римлян были арестованы по подозрению в атаке на фаната "красных". Он был доставлен в больницу в критическом состоянии.

- Основная задача клуба - безопасность фанатов, посещающих матчи, - говорится в официальном заявлении "Ливерпуля". - Фанаты, приходящие на игры, не должны становиться жертвами атак и насилия. "Ливерпуль" хочет поблагодарить службы экстренной помощи и членов своего фан-клуба, которые сразу же оказали помощь и лечение постраавшему.

Клуб снова напоминает всем имеющим информацию, которая поможет мерсисайдской полиции, связаться с ней по соответствующим каналам.

Драка болельщиков перед матчем "Ливерпуль" – "Рома". Видео //
СМИ: болельщик "Ливерпуля" получил ножевое ранение перед игрой с "Ромой" 

Лишь в 11 матчах из 47, проведенных за "Ливерпуль" во всех турнирах в этом сезоне, великолепный Салах уходил с поля без результативных действий. Статистика – сумасшедшая. Можно ли его вообще остановить? Практика показывает, что иногда – да. "СЭ" вспоминает пять неудачных игр Мохаммеда за последнее время, в которых остановить "Фараона" смогли Янг, Джикия и сборная Уганды.

ЗА "ЛИВЕРПУЛЬ"

9 сентября 2017 года. "Манчестер Сити" – "Ливерпуль" – 5:0.

В этом матче у "Ливерпуля" все пошло не так: пропущенный мяч в середине первого тайма, удаление Мане за грубую игру против вратаря "Сити" Эдерсона, а потом – еще четыре гола в свои ворота... Но именно Салах мог предотвратить ту катастрофу. На 31-й минуте, при счете 0:1, когда команды еще играли в равных составах, Мохаммед выскочил один на один и не смог переиграть голкипера. А потом уже игра превратилась для "красных" в настоящую катастрофу, и Салах даже не получал возможностей для ударов.

26 сентября 2017 года. "Спартак" – "Ливерпуль" – 1:1.

"Да, против Салаха довольно сложно, но в итоге он почти ничего и не создал", – заявил после финального свистка защитник москвичей Джикия, который в той встрече вынужден был играть левого защитника из-за травмы Комбарова. Справился Георгий со своей ролью блестяще: зону контролировал, вперед предпочитал лишний раз не бегать, сосредоточившись на обороне, и форвард "Ливерпуля" пусть был заметен, однако не слишком опасен.

Из шести его ударов три были заблокированы, а еще в одном случае мяч прошел мимо. Только на 96-й минуте Салах все-таки получил супершанс: оказавшись во вратарской на позиции центрфорварда, он пробил головой в упор после флангового навеса. Там, где уже не успевали помочь защитники, красно-белых выручил Селихов. Были надежды, что Джикия справится с египетским игроком и на "Энфилде", но чем закончился ответный матч, лучше не вспоминать.

13 декабря 2017 года. "Ливерпуль" – "Вест Бромвич" – 0:0.

"Ливерпуль" владел подавляющим территориальным преимуществом, держал у себя мяч 70 процентов времени, выполнил в три раза больше передач, прижимал соперника к своей штрафной – но забить так и не смог. "Вест Бромвич" насытил среднюю линию, избежал свободного пространства и сумел нейтрализовать великолепную атакующую четверку "Ливерпуля", из которой еще не выпал Коутинью. Салах, правда, два своих момента за 90 минут получил – но в конце первого тайма из неплохой позиции пробил в защитника, а после перерыва в еще более выгодной ситуации головой отправил мяч мимо ворот. Те два неточных удара так и остались для него единственными в матче.

10 марта 2018 года. "Манчестер Юнайтед" – "Ливерпуль" – 2:1.

Самая свежая из неудач египетского футболиста и последний на сегодня матч, в котором тот не отметился результативными действиями. Моуринью в свойственной себе манере засушил игру, лишил "красных" пространства и успешно нейтрализовал Салаха. Блестящую работу проделал левый защитник Янг, который на все 90 минут приклеился к Мохаммеду, атаковал его в момент приема мяча и совершенно не позволял разгоняться.

Очень грамотно в обороне действовали и другие футболисты хозяев. Как итог: египетский бомбардир периодически получал передачи от партнеров, но отметился за матч лишь одним ударом – уже в добавленное время мяч после его попытки отчаяния улетел метров на 15 выше ворот. "МЮ" так и остался единственной английской командой из "большой шестерки", которой Салах не смог забить в нынешнем сезоне. Зато после 10 марта в семи последующих играх за "Ливерпуль" он набрал 15 очков по системе "гол+пас" (11+4).

ЗА СБОРНУЮ ЕГИПТА

31 августа 2017 года. Уганда – Египет – 1:0.

Плохие новости: в нынешнем сезоне Салах убийственно эффективен не только в матчах за "Ливерпуль", но и за национальную команду. Из пяти игр последнего группового этапа отборочного турнира нападающий забивал в четырех. И лишь Уганда в домашней встрече смогла остановить лучшего футболиста английской премьер-лиги. Правда, случилось это еще летом, да и во многом благодаря везению. Один 100-процентный момент Мохаммед получил. Но не использовал его, пробив с пары метров во вратаря.

Mesut Ozil (left) and Jack Wilshere (right) trained on Wednesday

Arsenal have Mesut Ozil, Jack Wilshere and Petr Cech available for Thursday's Europa League semi-final first leg against Atletico Madrid.

Midfielders Ozil and Wilshere, and goalkeeper Cech missed Sunday's win over West Ham with minor injuries.

Striker Diego Costa has been named in a 20-man Atletico squad for the trip.

Boss Diego Simeone said at the weekend the Spain forward had "no chance" of being fit for the game at Emirates Stadium because of a hamstring injury.

He has missed three games since limping out of the quarter-final second leg against Sporting Lisbon.

Costa has scored six goals in 18 games since his move from Chelsea.

Full-back Juanfran will miss Thursday's game because of a hamstring injury.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is hopeful midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan could recover from a knee injury to feature in the second leg in Madrid next week.

However, Mohamed Elneny - who damaged ankle ligaments against West Ham - is likely to miss the rest of the season.

"He has a little chance to play at Huddersfield," said Wenger, referring to Arsenal's final Premier League game of the season on 13 May.

"I think he will be available for Egypt at the World Cup, but not any more for Arsenal."

Striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is ineligible for Arsenal, having played for Dortmund earlier in the competition.

Diego Costa has not played since the Europa League quarter-final against Sporting Lisbon'I think this is the final'

European football writer Raphael Honigstein on the BBC Radio 5 live's Euro Leagues Football Show

I think this is the final, or should have been the final in terms of the two strongest teams left. The fact it's over two legs doesn't work in Arsenal's favour - you have seen the European know-how from Atletico in the last few years.

They have consistently knocked out better teams because they are almost a machine built for European football. They don't concede and they need one chance to score two goals.

You think it's a horrible match-up for Arsenal as they're the opposite.

European football writer Julien Laurens on the BBC Radio 5 live's Euro Leagues Football Show

I think Arsenal can definitely do it. Atletico were not that good at the weekend against Real Betis, drawing 0-0, or against Sporting Lisbon in the last round. The second leg, they lost 1-0 but it could have been 3-0. They were so bad.

Whether they have Diego Costa fit or not is a huge factor. Antoine Griezmann is not the same player when he's not there.

Winning the Europa League would be an amazing farewell for Wenger. It would be a fairytale but football is no fairytale.

Wenger faces 125th different team - the stats

• This is the first meeting between these sides - Atletico will be the 10th Spanish side the Gunners have faced in Europe.
• Arsenal are appearing in their eighth European semi-final - they have progressed from six of the previous seven, only failing to reach the final in 2008-09 in the Champions League when they lost to Manchester United.
• This will be Atletico's third Europa League semi-final, winning over two legs against Liverpool in 2009-10 and Valencia in 2011-12 to reach the final in their previous two.
• Arsenal have scored 29 goals in the Europa League this season, more than any other side. In only one previous European campaign have the Gunners scored more, netting 30 in 1999-2000 when they competed in both the Champions League and the Uefa Cup.
• Atletico Madrid have scored 15 goals in their six Europa League games this season, giving them the best goals-per-game average in the competition (2.5).
• Arsene Wenger will face his 125th different opponent as Arsenal boss - he has only lost his first match against 10 of the previous 124.
• Mesut Ozil had a hand in five goals in seven starts against Atletico in all competitions (4 goals, 1 assist) when he played for Real Madrid.
• Diego Costa has scored three goals in six matches against Arsenal (all for Chelsea), scoring in his last appearance against them at Wembley in the FA Cup final in May 2017 - he also scored the winner at the Emirates in a 1-0 victory in January 2016.
• Diego Simeone is yet to lose an away European match in England as Atletico manager (W1 D2), with one win and a draw against Chelsea and a draw with Leicester City.

Georginio Wijnaldum says Liverpool need to be wary of Roma repeating their comeback victory against Barcelona when they meet for their Champions League semi-final second leg.

Liverpool are on the brink of another European Cup final.

All the Reds have to do is protect a 5-2 lead when they travel to Roma next week. Easier said than done, just ask Barcelona.

So it's guaranteed to be another huge night of Champions League football for Jurgen Klopp's side - and we're giving you the chance to watch the Reds in action with thousands of other fans at Anfield.

The club are screening the away leg live and the ECHO has 10 pairs of tickets to give away.

All you have to do is answer one simple question.

Who scored Liverpool's goals the last time the Reds won in at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome?

Send your answers to sportcompetitions@liverpool.com along with your name, address, postcode and contact number.

Good luck!