Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool are in Rome to "fight for our dreams" as the Reds look to reach the Champions League final for the...
Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool are in Rome to "fight for our dreams" as the Reds look to reach the Champions League final for the first time in 11 years.
Liverpool are 90 minutes away from Kiev as they hold a 5-2 advantage from the first leg of their semifinal with Roma.
Roma need to overturn a three-goal deficit if they are to make their first appearance in a European Cup final since 1984, with Klopp aware it is very much a possibility after Eusebio Di Francesco's side came back from 4-1 down to knock Barcelona out in the quarterfinals.
Speaking at a news conference at the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday evening, Klopp said: "It is great to be here and great that the boys gave us an opportunity to be here with their performances, the games they played and the attitude they showed and all the things they did in this Champions League campaign.
"I really, really think we deserve to be here. And if we get the result that we need we will really deserve to be in the final. And if not, then Rome has a very good campaign as well. If they get the result, they deserve it. That is part of the game.
"We are here to fight for our dreams, that is how it is, and we want to go to the final. After the game at Anfield, a few people after the game had a feeling we had lost. We didn't. After a week, a few people think Roma only have to win 3-0 but that is quite a result. So we will be there as well tomorrow.
"There is a football game to play.[...] You want to play for the big things on a big stage and that is why we are here."
On Roma's comeback in the previous round, Klopp added: "I am not here to say anything about Barcelona. They were the Spanish champions the other night. They have not done a lot wrong in that game.
"Rome was more ready than Barcelona. Barcelona probably thought it was decided. Everyone is telling us it is quite difficult and possible but no-one told Barcelona it is possible to beat you 3-0 because no-one could imagine it could happen. But it happened.
"I didn't need a warning but if a warning was needed, it was a warning. That is how it is."
Liverpool preparations for the Roma game have been somewhat disrupted after they confirmed on Monday that assistant coach Zeljko Buvac would be absent until the end of the season for "personal reasons."
Klopp, however, would provide no further update on the Bosnian's absence from the squad.
"We gave a club statement to that and that is all we are saying at the moment," he said. "So that's it."
Roma boss Eusebio Di Francesco does not believe Buvac's absence on the touchline will have any impact on the game.
"To make things equal, I sent away my assistant coach!" the Italian said at his news conference. "That was just a joke.
"I can't prepare the match just because his assistant will not sit on the bench. Liverpool is a great club that has invested so much. We are facing a great opponent with a huge tradition and history.
"I don't think this detail will make the difference. It is more of an internal issue."
Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah will return to Roma, where he spent two seasons, for the first time since his summer move to Liverpool.
The record-breaking Egyptian has scored 43 goals for Liverpool so far this season and added another accolade to his collection on Tuesday as he was named Player of the Year by the Football Writers' Association.
Asked whether he had a secret that has helped dramatically increase Salah's goalscoring output, Klopp said: "He's matured, he has confidence here.
"He came from Chelsea to Florence and played a good season -- not as good a season as at Roma -- and he grew up. He is now the player he is and we are the lucky guys who have him in our team. That is how it is.
"I have not taught him how to score goals, he knew that before, but each striker as an 18-year-old boy is not a goal-getter.
"Mo has to make his own experiences and that is what he did in very difficult circumstances coming all the way from Egypt to Switzerland and carrying all that responsibility for all the people in his country and he is quite free with it.
"He has good teammates. They love helping him and they love how he helps them. That's it."
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