The semi-finals of the Champions League have pitted together the two teams who many did
not expect to be here.
Liverpool established a solid 3-0 home lead over Premier League Champions Manchester City
then saw out the tie with a 2-1 win at the Etihad to unseat many people’s favourites
for the competition.
Meanwhile, Roma looked dead and buried at 4-1 after the first leg in Barcelona, but
beat Ernesto Valverde’s men 3-0 in Rome to complete one of the biggest upsets of recent
European compeition.
Liverpool and Roma have met in the Champions League before, during the second group phase
of the 2001/2002 competition.
The sides drew 0-0 in Rome, before goals from Jari Litmanen and Emile Heskey secured a 2-0
win at Anfield for a Liverpool team also featuring Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher.
Both Liverpool and Roma have generally favoured a 4-3-3 this season and, indeed, Liverpool
have not deviated from this system.
[PIC 1]
Against Barcelona in the second leg, though, Roma deployed a 3-5-2 of sorts, a significant
change from Eusebio Di Francesco’s previous selections and one that caught Barcelona on
the hop.
[PIC 2]
In attack, the 3-5-2 became more of a 3-4-2-1, with Patrik Schick and Radja Nainggolan moving
into the channels to create overloads with their respective wing backs.
Edin Dzeko generally stayed central, acting as a focal point for crosses, looking to get
headers or shots on target, or to lay the ball back to a playing rushing forwards or
in from the half space.
As Barcelona’s full backs pushed forwards, as expected, this meant that Roma could create
overloads out wide and attack regularly from the flanks.
[PIC 3 and 4]
Roma looked to play quickly and vertically, with central centre back Kostas Manolas or
deep-dropping central midfielder Daniele De Rossi pinging long passes into the vacant
spaces behind Barcelona’s full backs for either Schick and Nainggolan, or the wing
backs, to chase down.
This meant that Roma were not only able to break Barcelona’s high press, but they actually
exploited the gaps that the pressing game left.
[PIC 5]
By having three at the back, as well as De Rossi dropping in, Barcelona’s front two
could not effectively press every passing option, which either lured an additional midfielder
forwards, creating gaps through the centre, or afforded De Rossi or Manolas time to pass
from deep.
[PIC 6]
Defensively, Roma’s 3-5-2 became a 5-4-1, with Schick moving into a right midfield space,
Nainggolan moving left, and De Rossi and Strootman positioned in the centre.
While Roma pressed effectively, they combined this with a high defensive line, which meant
that even when Lionel Messi dropped into space between the lines, Roma had compacted the
space by pushing forwards and allowed a central defender to follow, usually Juan Jesus or
Federico Fazio, the two wider centre backs.
This still left Roma a man over at the back on Suarez, while the wing backs could cover
the wide spaces behind Roma’s four man midfield press.
[PIC 7 and 8]
Roma could well use this system against Liverpool.
The directness of passing would suit a team playing against Liverpool’s excellent pressing
game.
While Liverpool’s midfield three will look to push up and disrupt Roma’s play, if De
Rossi drops off, Liverpool would quickly find themselves outnumbered in the central midfield
area should one of their players push up on to De Rossi, or vulnerable to the long diagonal
pass if they sit off.
[PIC 9 and 10]
Liverpool’s strength is their front three, with Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, and Mo Salah
arguably the most potent attacking unit in English football.
If Roma go four at the back against them, then they run the risk of leaving space in
behind in the half spaces just as they did against Barcelona in the first leg – should
they do this, Mane and Salah will have a field day, especially if supported by their full
backs.
[PIC 11 and 12]
However, if Roma stick with three at the back, then they have two advantages.
The first is that a centre back can push up onto Roberto Firmino, should he drop off,
much as Roma’s centre backs did against Messi.
They will still have adequate cover for Mane and Salah, as they will be marked man for
man, and the wing backs can assist.
The second benefit is that, generally, only one of Liverpool’s midfield gets forwards
in support of attacking moves, often Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from the right half space.
Daniele De Rossi can track his runs, or the left wing back can come inside, and Roma do
not leave themselves outnumbered.
[PIC 13 and 14]
Liverpool’s ability to win lies in their pressing game and getting the ball forwards
to the front three.
Defensively, Edin Dzeko is exactly the sort of powerful striker that Liverpool hate to
play against, and Roma are also potent from set pieces, which will worry Jurgen Klopp.
Liverpool’s style and system are extremely effective, especially in knock-out football.
But Eusebio Di Francesco has shown a canny knack for picking tactics that work when it
really counts.
And what worked against Messi and co.
could well be effective against Liverpool too.
Indeed, it might be Roma’s best hope.