Liverpool head into the Champions League semi-final against Roma as favorites but the Giallorossi have proven on more than one occasion this season that they cannot be underestimated.
Roma beat Chelsea in the group stage and knocked Barcelona out of the quarter-finals.
We have taken a look at three players that Liverpool will need to keep an eye on if they hope to make the Champions League final in Kiev this May.
See More: Was Cengiz Under Right To Pick Roma Over Man City?
Cengiz Ünder
The 20-year-old joined Roma as Mohamed Salah’s replacement as the most expensive Turkish international to leave the Super Lig. After a tricky settling in process he has hit the ground running scoring six times and providing two assists. Under is an impact player. A gifted winger with the ability to turn a game on its head. It is worth noting he scored on his Champions League debut against Shakhtar. The goal ended up taking Roma into the semi-finals on away goals. Against Barcelona, he provided the assist that knocked the La Liga giants out of the tournament.
It is little wonder he has been nicknamed the ‘Undertaker’. With several bodies already under his belt, the new Mo Salah will pose a threat. And considering the Reds, Achilles heel is their defence they will have to take precautions against the boy wonder. The rising star is quick, skillful and intelligent. He can punish from range, has a dangerous cross and could pose the Reds problems on the counter-attack. The versatile forward plays predominantly on the right-wing but can play on the left and central making him difficult to deal with.
Under recently recovered from injury and while it is not a certainty that he will start as Patrick Schick and Stephan El Shaarawy are also fighting for a spot he will almost certainly be used at some stage. He could prove a lethal substitute, against wary legs, towards the end of a big game, as Barcelona found out.
Cengiz Under Compilation – Could he win a Ballon D’or? – Likes and Retweets Appreciated pic.twitter.com/zdOl4N61yT
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Edin Džeko
Dzeko knows the Premier League better than perhaps any other Roma player. The former Manchester City man is the type of striker Liverpool have not fared well against this season.
The Bosnia international is a tall, powerful striker, dangerous in the air – winning an average of three aerial duels per game – and pretty good with his feet for such a big man. Dzeko already has 21 goals to his name this season and six in the Champions League including a brace against Chelsea.
As we already touched upon, Liverpool’s biggest weakness is at the back. The Reds have performance better recently conceding just five in their last 10 games and Dejan Lovren seems to have struck up a decent partnership with Virgil van Dijk. Lovren could however, struggle against Dzeko considering his struggles with aerial balls this season.
Radja Nainggolan
If Roma were a human body, Nainggolan would be the spine. The Belgium international shields Kevin Strootman and Daniele De Rossi but he is not all brawn as he also gets forward, contributing to attacking play. A lovely passer of the ball, he can create something from nothing one minute and make key tackles the next.
Nainggolan will give the powerful, hard-working Liverpool midfield a run for their money. The battle between the Reds and Giallorossi midfield could end up deciding the tie. If Roma are to pull through the 25-year-old will have to be at his best.
