UCL Preview: Will record breaking Marega resume form as Porto visit Roma?

Cengiz Under (C) with his teammates of AS Roma celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the serie A match between AS Roma and Genoa CFC at Stadio Olimpico on April 18, 2018 in Rome, Italy.

(April 17, 2018 - Source: Paolo Bruno/Getty Images Europe)

The last time Mousa “The Beast” Marega appeared in the UEFA Champions League, he went all Beast Mode! The Malian forward made history in the group stages as he became the first African to score in 5 consecutive UCL matches.Consequently he is tied on third place with the likes of Neymar and Dybala on the current top scorers of the 2018/19 campaign.

Heading into the tournament, the 27-year-old was only but filling the shoes of the injured Cameroonian international, Vincent Aboubakar in the Primeira Liga champions’ setup and boy did he do it with so much grace! FC Porto finished the group stages unbeaten with the highest points tally of 16 amongst all the 2018/19 participants and that was after going toe to toe with experienced sides such as Schalke and Galatasaray. Marega is expected to continue leading the Portuguese’ club frontline heading into the knockout stages beginning with the challenge of last year’s semi-finalists in AS Roma. Quite frankly, Roma doesn’t look like the side they were when they achieved that feat back in 2018. The Giallorossi did just enough to secure a knock-out spot in the round of 16 and their domestic performances need a lot to be desired. Recently, they were humiliated 7-1 by Fiorentina in the Coppa Italia quarter-final and currently sit 6th on the Italian Serie A league table, very much at the extreme end of a crowded race for the champions league places. On the other hand, Porto are actually on top of the world. They are perhaps fancying themselves to grab a consecutive Portuguese Primeira League title, sitting pretty at the top of the standings ahead of Europa League bound, Benfica.

Moussa Marega celebrates with Yacine Brahimi of FC Porto after scores the second goal during the Primeira Liga match between FC Porto and Feirense at Estadio do Dragao on May 6, 2018 in Porto, Portugal.

(May 5, 2018 - Source: Octavio Passos/Getty Images Europe)

Players to look out of

Marega who is currently on 7 goals and 5 assists in the Portuguese league is expected to continue linking up with Algerian international, Yacine Brahimi, the physically built playmaker/winger with technical abilities of rare quality. He provided 2 assists in the group stages and remains a force to reckon with, both on and off the ball. In case you are wondering, Chancel Mbemba of DR Congo is also an option for FC Porto in the defensive backline and will be hoping to get a run-in after finding game minutes hard to come by in recent weeks. As for AS Roma, their only arsenal heading into the fixture is their experience. Despite being gifted with the talents of Cengiz Under, Edin Dzeko, Kostas Manolas and Steven Nzonzi - their current form has done little to explain such quality.

The good thing is that, this happens to be the UEFA Champions League round of 16 where the stakes are obviously higher and teams give in more than they got. It’s obviously unfortunate for Roma that they have to welcome the Portuguese champions on Tuesday night, 13th of February 2018, an incredibly confident and organized side threatening to go all the way. But hey, it’s great news for all of us fans, we have a great spectacle on our hands.

My Prediction: Marega and Brahimi will rise to the occasion and send FC Porto through to the quarter-finals.

“Marega who is currently on 7 goals and 5 assists in the Portuguese league is expected to continue linking up with Algerian international, Yacine Brahimi, the physically built playmaker/winger with technical abilities of rare quality. He provided 2 assists in the group stages and remains a force to reckon with, both on and off the ball.”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

Arsenal familiarize themselves with disappointment in 2-1 loss to ATM

It must be really tough to be an Arsenal fan. The English club went into the match with an aim to score one goal and prevent Atletico Madrid from scoring. That’s all they needed, one goal unlike teams like AS Roma who needed about 5 goals to turn the tie. Wenger used the same team that played against Atletico Madrid last week which meant that Mkhitaryan could only afford a place on the bench. Diego Simeone shacked things up a bit as he trusted his most versatile player, Thomas Partey, in right back as opposed to his usual midfield role. The Ghanaian defensive midfielder has been one of the standout players in both ties against Arsenal. He was trusted to cover at right back in the last stages of the first leg clash and that performance was enough to convince Simeone to trust him in that position once more. Arsenal failed to score a goal in the first half thanks to his interceptions and blocks which prevented the gunners from whipping in dangerous crosses from the right. It was in the 45th minute that Partey’s teammate, Diego Costa scored the goal to give the advantage to Atletico Madrid. The second half was even better by the English side as they tried to instigate attacks but the Ghanaian player blocked most of those attempts by intercepting crucial passes by Ozil, Ramsey, Monreal, and Xhaka on the right. Even when Mkhitaryan was called upon the pitch to replace Wilshere, Arsenal never produced enough to worry his defense. The few opportunities created by Ozil went begging as there was no one in the right spot to parry it home. Godin took most of the shine as well for clearing these useless attempts.

This match was meant to be a memorable night for Wenger in his last away match in European competition as Arsenal boss. He was seen squatting near the touchline from the 85th minute but his team could not produce a result. Much credit to Partey and his manager Simeone who coached his team from the stands. He prepared the team for this fight and they succeeded in knocking out Arsenal out of the UEFA Europa tournament. Simeone is on to the final. Maybe if he is announced as the next Arsenal boss, he should bring the African player to Arsenal and solve the defensive problems they have been having since Patrick Vieira left in July 2005. These disappointing results from a team with a weak mentality is what the new coach will have to deal with. What a tough ask!

UCL Road to Kiev Final: Roma vs Liverpool

The story of the season so far has been the meteoric rise of Mohamed Salah. Purchased from Roma last summer for what was then a highly scrutinized fee, Liverpool have given him the stage to show his many talents and take that next step in becoming a truly World Class player. The first leg was symbolic of his entire season. With 2 goals and 2 assists, it wasn’t until he was substituted that Roma looked to have any advantages in the game. Roma have proven that they can find a solution for 3 goal deficits to Barcelona’s chagrin, and they will be hoping the Stadio Olympico inspires another comeback on Wednesday. After winning 4-1 at the weekend in their Serie A match against Crotone, they will be hoping for the same exact scoreline against Liverpool. Credit must be given to Jurgen Klopp who has inspired his side this far in the Champions League and brought back genuine excitement amongst the rabid Liverpool fans.

The winner of this tie will already know who they are facing in the final in Kiev on May 26th. Di Francesco will need to make sure his tactics are better than they were in the first leg if he is to hope for another dramatic comeback like the one he produced against Barcelona. With a newly signed contract extension, Roberto Firmino will be leading the line and hope to lead Liverpool to their first Champions League final in over a decade. All eyes will be on how Liverpool handle the early moments of the game, however, especially given that Manchester City scored early against them the last tie, but Klopp’s men were able to still produce a clinical display of quick, sharp counterattacking football to dispose of Manchester City. Dzeko vs Salah will prove to be the matchup that in all likelihood shapes how this second leg will play out.

Roma could dispose of Liverpool with the same 3-0 scoreline they produced the last time they played at the Stadio Olimpico.

Liverpool will be hoping Mane is fit and ready to go after reportedly visiting a hospital after the first leg. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will, unfortunately, miss out after suffering a season-ending knee injury in the first leg.

James Milner is a player reborn with Liverpool and leads all players in assists this campaign with a record 9 assists this season in Champions League.

Police arrest 2 suspects for attempted murder on a Liverpool fan

Violence has no place in football! The game between Liverpool and Manchester City created a hostile environment which saw the Manchester City bus attacked by Liverpool fans. UEFA responded to that incident and issued a penalty towards Liverpool because of the behavior of their fans. Because of that, some Roma fans thought that they could copy this unlawful behavior as they attacked a Liverpool fan near the stadium. The man who was attacked goes by the name Sean Cox who is a father of three. The 53-year old was attacked near the Kop Stand where the fans were gathering before the semifinal game between AS Roma and Liverpool started. The incident took place around 7.35pm and some witnesses have come forward to say that the victim was hit with a belt before going to ground. He was treated by the paramedics at the scene before being carried to Walton Neurological Centre by an ambulance where he is in a critical condition. He is being treated for a head injury and the police are appealing to anyone who has any information or evidence that can help their case. In the interim, two suspects have been apprehended believed to be between the ages 20 and 29 on suspicion of attempted murder.

Liverpool issued a statement after the incident saying, “Liverpool Football Club will continue to work closely with the relevant authorities to establish an understanding of the facts, following a serious and disturbing incident at Anfield last night which has left a 53-year-old supporter in a critical condition in hospital.”

This is such a shame that some fans would go all the way to fight over the beautiful game that we all love. UEFA also denounced these actions and we are waiting to see how this matter will be handled. Merseyside police have also arrested 7 other men on suspicions of affray, criminal damage, possession of an offensive weapon, among others. Our thoughts are with the victim. Let us end violence in the game.

Mo Salah on target as Liverpool win 5-2 at home

The Egyptian King showed no mercy on his return. We are almost running out of words of describing Mo Salah’s debut season in England. The Liverpool forward has been on fire this season and has already scored 31 league goals. Liverpool were wounded by losing Coutinho in January but Salah has made that loss almost look like it is not a big deal. Roma also lost Palmieri who left for Chelsea, Salah who left for Liverpool as well as their legend Totti who went into retirement. The two teams are almost in the same predicament but they have believed in their abilities this season which has seen them go places.

Liverpool faced Roma tonight in the first leg of the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League and this feature was unthinkable at the start of the season. The most obvious names of PSG, Juventus, Barcelona, Manchester City, and Manchester United are already out but yet these two teams remain. Liverpool kicked off the match with a fierce attacking play that saw them create chances that were missed by Mane and Firmino in succession. It took a while before the man of the moment found the back of the net from a nicely curled effort at the edge of the box. Salah could not celebrate out of respect for his former club but what a beautiful strike it was. With his abilities, Messi has not been missed at this stage of the competition. Dejan Lovren almost made it 2-0 to Liverpool when his header hit the crossbar. Liverpool were eager to score more and Firmino found Salah on the break and the forward chipped the ball over the keeper to score his second of the night in the 45th minute. This was his 43rd goal of the season and he is now 3 shy of the all-time record at Liverpool held by Ian Rush who was in the stands to watch the African player shine against Roma.

Sadio Mane came from the break to score on the 56th minute to make it 3-0 to Liverpool. It looked all Liverpool in this match before the man of the match, Roberto Firmino scored a brace between the 61st and the 68th minutes. 5-0! Surely, Roma were out. But the team continued to fight until they scored two; the first from Dzeko and a penalty from Perotti in the 85th minute. Roma reduced the defeat to 3 goals and are planning to pull off another come back like they did against Barcelona. Will they make Liverpool regret conceding two goals in this 5-2 win at home?

UCL Road To Kiev Final: Liverpool vs Roma

Key Stats

• Sixth European meeting between Liverpool and Roma and the first since March 2002. Liverpool (W2, D2, L2) & Roma (W1, D2, L2)

• Liverpool's 10th appearance in the semi-final of the European Cup/Champions League. They've progressed to the final seven times in nine trials, losing only in 1964-65 against Inter Milan and in 2007-08 against Chelsea.

• Roma are appearing in their first European semi-final for 27 years when they faced Brondby in the Uefa Cup in 1990-91. The last match was against Dundee United in 1983-84 whom they beat to set up a Liverpool final

• Roma have won just one of their past 14 away Champions League games (D5 L8), a 2-1 win at Qarabag earlier this season.

• Liverpool have not won the first leg of a European semi-final in any of their past seven attempts (D3 L4), since a 4-0 win over Panathinaikos in the European Cup in 1984-85.

The first of the final stop before the UEFA Champions League final will be a tantalizing encounter between Liverpool and Roma. Both teams are full of belief after they kicked out Barcelona and Manchester City who have dominated their respective leagues and are inevitable winners of the double domestic trophies. Mohamed Salah is expected to be the center of attention because of his outstanding season and more so as he welcomes his former teammates to Anfield. The coaches believe that it is more than the tactics or star players that will see them through.

Liverpool boss has urged the Merseyside fans to come in full voice and try to create a special atmosphere around the Anfield, specifically to try and beat the outstanding support they gave in the quarter-finals against Manchester City. In as much as Klopp once the 12th player behind them, he does not want to witness a repeat episode of the violent bus incident instigated by the Liverpool fans against Manchester City. He has urged the fans to respect Roma. Roma’s Eusebio Di Francesco has admitted that English clubs create memorable atmospheres when they get behind their teams but has since affirmed that their fans are also behind them. Liverpool is expected to field stick to the line-up which beat the English Champions, Manchester City, with Oxlade Chamberlain, Trent Alexander Arnold, Firmino, Lovren, and Robertson expected to return after being rested over the weekend. Roma’s Diego Perotti could return after being sidelined for three weeks while Rick Karsdrop and Gregoire Defrel are set to miss out with an injury. Aleksander Kolarov, Edin Dzeko, Daniele De Rossi and Alessandro Florenzi who sat out in Roma’s 3-0 win over the weekend are also expected to be in for the Giallorossi.

Managers’ Remarks

"Against Barcelona, we played as a team, we did not focus on Lionel Messi, and by playing in this way we can achieve great things. It is not about stopping one player. Liverpool are not only Salah, they have a number of good players." - Eusebio Di Francesco

"They have a full squad available. They have different options offensively, a strong defense, the wingers or wing-backs are strong, it all looks settled, fit and experienced.

"It's a semi-final which is a big thing for them like us. You will see two excited teams and that's good for football." - Jurgen Klopp

Who will gain the advantage in the first leg?

The week of unexpected comebacks provides another thriller in Salzburg vs Lazio clash

Immobile and Lazio lose to Salzburg in the Europa League

This week proved to be a week of miracle returns as Roma sparked hope in all the teams in hope by coming back from 4-1 down to beat Barcelona 3-0 at home. What an exciting match it was and it caused a ripple effect in the world of football. Every team that was on the losing end in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League felt that they could believe just like Roma and turn around the tie to progress to the next round. Juventus tried it and came close but their dreams were crushed by Ronaldo’s last minute penalty. It did not end there as the Europa League teams were also inspired and CSKA Moscow almost ran away with but eventually went out. The same cannot be said though about RB Salzburg who came back from 4-2 defeat and beat Lazio by 4-1. Here’s how it unfolded. The Austrian side, Salzburg, started the match with an expected high intensity and were hungry for scoring many goals in the match and they nearly scored in just 5 minutes. Ciro Immobile got a chance that he should have buried in the first half which would have given Lazio the advantage when he shot straight at the goalkeeper from close range. There were no goals in the first period before Immobile made amends of his earlier attempt by rocketing a shot on the 55th minute. This seemed like it added fuel to the fire as RB Salzburg scored to level the matters just 85 seconds later when Dabbur danced around the Italian side’s defenders before and his shot was turned in by Stefan Radu. Luis Alberto will probably have a nightmare tonight when he reflects about the game as he missed a 3-on-1 opportunity on the 72nd minute which would have dashed the Austrian side’s hopes. Haidara then took a 30-yard effort that flew past Strakosha which made it 2-1 to Salzburg. Hwang Hee-Chan scored the third from a deflection which meant that both teams were level on aggregate but RB Salzburg had the advantage on away goals rule. They did not want to rely on that as Stefan Lainer made sure that Lazio would go home by scoring the fourth goal which saw Lazio lose 4-1. This means that the Italian club are out of the competition which is disappointing.

Salah returns and shutters Manchester City’s hopes

The two clubs met in the second leg of the clash where Manchester City were hopeful of not cutting down the 3-0 deficit from the first but also to turn around the tie into their favor and qualify to the next round. People were interested in finding out if Salah was going to start the match or not after picking up a groin injury in the first leg of this clash. It was a relief for the Liverpool fans when they heard that their start man was available for contention. Pep Guardiola made changes to the team that played the away leg as he introduced Raheem Sterling and Laporte back to the squad ahead of Gundogan and Kompany. The shocking omission was Aguero who was benched for Jesus in an attacking team filled with pacey forwards. The match kicked off with high expectations on both teams to produce an amazing performance.  Manchester City was off to a good start as they dispossessed Van Dijk and Sterling fed Jesus to score the first. It was 1-0 after 3 minutes and Liverpool were definitely parking. Manchester City dominated the first half and created many chances that should have hit the back of the net. Bernardo Silva hit the post once and Sane put the ball into the net but the ball was controversially ruled offside. City really felt hard done in a match that was intense and saw the referee producing about 5 yellow cards and saw Pep Guardiola being sent to the stands for his outrageous reaction at half-time. Arteta was under pressure as he was the man-in charge and Liverpool scored an equalizer through Salah after Mane’s brilliant run. The Manchester club had a mountain to climb as they needed to score 4 more goals to qualify. Aguero was introduced at the expense of David Silva but the damage was done. The match ended 2-1 to Liverpool after Firmino scored the second on the 77th minute which means that Liverpool are through to the semifinals with a 5-1 aggregate score. The Egyptian has once again made the difference in a big match as he scored a killer blow. It has been a while since Africa had a player that would contend for the Ballon d’Or. Mo Salah is a contender this year. What’s your take?

In other news, Barcelona were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League after losing 3-0 to Roma away from home. Roma had scored an away goal in their first leg where they lost 4-1. The scorers on this day were De Rossi, Dzeko and Manolas. Roma had enough to eliminate Barcelona by overturning a 3-0 deficit for the first time in the history of the UEFA Champions League.

Manchester City shocked by a 3-0 defeat from Liverpool

The mind games played by Klopp prior to this match evidently had an effect on the result of the match. He talked about his team’s strengths and predicted that his team could hurt Manchester City on Wednesday night. Before we look into how that happened, we first have to look into a special moment leading into the match.

The Manchester City bus was attacked by Liverpool fans on its way to the Anfield for the UEFA Champions League clash between the two teams. The violent scenes saw a window smashed and Liverpool FC immediately apologized when they heard the terrible news. The damage was done though because it instilled fear into the City team that was full of confidence from their domestic dominance. The match kicked off later and Liverpool were on the front foot. Roberto Firmino robbed Kyle Walker before sliding a pass to the Egyptian Messiah, Mo Salah, who fired in past Ederson in the 12th minute. Leroy Sane almost provided a quick response to his team when he charged down Liverpool’s defense only to see his miskicked effort going wide. That was the end of Manchester City’s contribution in the first half as Liverpool produced a blistering performance leading to a second goal by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who shot past Ederson from 25 yards out. What a hit it was by Ox, leaving Ederson to watch helplessly as the ball whistled by him into the net. City’s defense continued to look in disarray and failed to cope with the intensity of the home side. Sadio Mane headed down the 3rd from a cross by Mo Salah on the 31st minute and that was it for the night. Guardiola’s tactical approach of playing Gundogan instead of Sterling did not pay off as they failed to produce one short on target in the first half. The second half was better by the City side who dominated in possession and forced Liverpool to defend fantastically. Trent Alexander-Arnold went home with the man of the match award after a fine defensive performance at right-back in charge of shutting down Sane. He also blocked Silva from scoring a cross in the second half to ensure Liverpool win without conceding. City have a tough mountain to climb now just like Juventus. Can they produce a special moment in the return leg?

On another front, Barcelona won 4-1 against Roma thanks to two own goals and a goal apiece by Pique and Suarez. Messi had a fine game but the match showed that the player is still struggling with fitness issues.

Champions League Quarter-Final Overview: Barcelona vs Roma

Key Points

• Messi is indispensable as he proved again over the weekend. Although he clearly is not 100% fit, Roma could have difficulties in the first leg in the Camp Nou.

• Dzeko has been the standout performer for Roma, also proving himself vital over the weekend helping his team to a 1-1 draw against Bologna. He will need to play well if Roma have any chance to advance in this tie.

• With Dembele slowly growing in confidence, and Busquets returning from injury, Barcelona will feel confident ahead of this first leg at home.

The Italians are one of the introverts of this tie. To be fair, they have not been really convincing but got the job done. The She-Wolf scarcely got past Shakhtar Donetsk on away goals rule after a disciplined 1-0 victory in the second leg. What matters now at this stage of the competition is experience and boy do they have plenty. Boasting of a line-up with the likes of Edin Dzeko, Stephan El Shaarawy, Kolarov, De Rossi, Radja Nainggolan only to mention but a few - Roma can frustrate anyone on a good day. Let us not forget how their 3-0 thrashing of Chelsea in the group stages, topping a group also occupied by Atletico Madrid.

But will they really prevent Messi from giving us another plat du jour? Goalkeeper Alisson Becker should better keep his legs closed at all times.

Sevilla grinded out a 2-1 win to join Madrid in the UCL quarters

A late show from Sevilla downed Manchester United who were below par on Tuesday night. Ben Yedder scored two goals in quick succession, one at the 74th and the other at the 77th minute to secure a comfortable 2 goal advantage before Romelu Lukaku scored for Jose Mourinho’s team on the 84th minute. This result can come as a shocker to a few, but those that followed the club during its Europa League campaigns should know that Sevilla are a well-disciplined team that can bring the game to you from the first minute till the final whistle. Manchester United have learned that the hard way as they have been knocked out of the competition which many hoped that Jose Mourinho would mount a challenge in. In other news, AS Roma also qualified into the last 8 teams in the tournament after beating Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 thanks to an Edin Dzeko goal. This means that they have qualified on away goal’s rule having scored one goal in the first leg of the clash. That’s a wrap! The rest of the teams will be confirmed on Wednesday.