Roma vs Liverpool: CL Semi-Final Second Leg Preview

Faced with the daunting prospect of having to overcome a three-goal deficit yet again,AS Roma will have to rediscover the grit and determination that helped them dispatch the mighty Barcelona in the quarters; when Liverpool come knocking at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday night in the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals.

It will be no mean feat, however, as this Liverpool side, at their rampant best, have the capacity to completely obliterate any team. With that said, one should also be aware of The Reds' defensive shortcomings, as a collapse at the back is never off the cards with Liverpool.

Their attacking prowess and their defensive frailties are best displayed in the 3-3 draw with Arsenal and the 4-3 win over Manchester City earlier in the Premier League, where they outplayed their opponents in the earlier stages to establish a lead and almost went on to lose both games.

Also, Eusebio Di Francesco's side will come into this match with a lot of faith in themselves, as they had earlier risen from the ashes of their 1-4 defeat to the Catalans to turn the quarter-final tie on its head, scoring three goals without reply in Rome, to seal one of the greatest Champions League comebacks ever.

However, they did themselves no favours at Anfield in the first leg of the semi-finals as they conceded five within 70 minutes, with the PFA Player's Player of the Year and former Roma winger, Mohammed Salah scoring two sublime goals and setting up another two to seemingly take the tie away from his former employers.

The Giallorossi were perhaps then jolted into action, as they managed to snatch two vital away goals from Merseyside to give them a glimmer of hope of another dream Champions League comeback.

With the winners of the penultimate game of this season's European showdown set to meet reigning and 12 time European Champions, Real Madrid in Kiev on May 26, the motivation for both teams to give it their all will be at an all-time high, as neither of the two teams (in recent years at least as far as Liverpool are concerned) are used to reaching within touching distance of Europe's most coveted trophy.