Champions League

Jurgen Klopp: 'Roma will be fresher than Liverpool'

By Darren Plant, Senior Reporter | 23 April 2018

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp claims that Roma will be fresher than the Merseyside giants for the first leg of the Champions League semi-final tie between the two clubs.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has claimed that Roma will be fresher than his side for the first leg of their Champions League semi-final.

Like Liverpool, Roma played their domestic fixture on Saturday - with a 3-0 win over SPAL - and manager Eusebio Di Francesco opted to make a number of alterations like Klopp did for the game at West Bromwich Albion.

However, Klopp feels that the Italian outfit will be better prepared for the first of two showdowns in the space of just over a week, starting at Anfield on Tuesday night.

At a press conference, the 50-year-old told reporters: "I watch quite a lot of Italian football to be honest. I know Edin Dzeko from Germany and I am not surprised by Roma.

"The quality in their team and squad is a lot. They made seven or eight changes from the last game, so that is a big advantage for them. They have a full squad available and all of them are good.

"They have clear options up front and in midfield, they all look settled, fit and experienced. For them, like us, semi-finals are a big thing."

Liverpool are attempting to reach their second European final in the space of three seasons, but Roma have not progressed through to the final two of a continental tournament since reaching the 1991 UEFA Cup final.