English Premier League side Liverpool FC on Tuesday continued their push for a first appearance in the UEFA Champions League final in a decade as they beat AS Roma 5-2 in the first leg of the semi-final.
Played at Anfield, the first leg saw in-form Mohamed Salah face his former team mates from Italy.
After several misses from pre-Salah-era sensation Sadio Mane, Liverpool opened the score in the 35th minute through the Egyptian captain.
Failing to jubilate against his former club, the recently crowned PFA Player of the Year added a second just before the break.
The action at Anfield seemed to be woven around Salah as his two assists stretched the Reds’ lead with Mane and Roberto Firmino scoring within five minutes in the second half.
The Brazilian later got a second in the 68th minute.
But the Giallorossis ended the game the stronger pulling two goals back in the last 10 minutes of the Anglo-Italia game.
Edin Dzeko scored in the 81st minute while Diego Perotti converted a penalty to give the Romans some lifeline going into the second leg next week to be played at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
The first leg of the other semi-final match will be played on Wednesday between German champions Bayern Munich and defending champions Real Madrid.
By Emmanuel Kwame Amoh|3news.com|Ghana