The Reds are seeking a sixth triumph in the European Cup, 13 years on from their most recent success on the continent.
If the hosts' run to the last four this season was unexpected then the Giallorossi's was even more unlikely, as they are competing in their first Euro semi of any sort in 27 years after a memorable comeback win against Barcelona in the last round.
Follow all of the action as it unfolds on Merseyside with our extensive updates below.
OFFICIAL LINE-UPS
LIVERPOOL: Karius; Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, van Dijk, Robertson; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Henderson, Milner; Salah, Firmino, Mane
SUBS: Clyne, Wijnaldum, Klavan, Moreno, Mignolet, Ings, Solanke
ROMA: Becker; Fazio, Manolas, Jesus; Florenzi, De Rossi, Strootman, Kolarov; Under, Nainggolan; Dzeko
SUBS: Skorupski, Pellegrini, Perotti, Schick, Gonalons, Da Silva Peres, El Shaarawy
The full-time whistle sounds at Anfield, where Liverpool have defeated Roma 5-2 in their Champions League semi-final first leg. That scoreline does not tell the whole story, though, because a late Edin Dzeko strike and a Diego Perotti penalty has restored some hope for Italian visitors, who were five goals behind with 11 minutes left to play. Thanks for joining our live coverage of the match!
90+4 min FULL TIME: LIVERPOOL 5-2 ROMA
90+2 min LIVERPOOL SUB! We are halfway through four minutes of added on time at Anfield and Klopp has brought on Ragnar Klavan for Roberto Firmino. The home boss has made his priorities well known - hold on and take a three-goal lead to Rome.
90 min Roma are knocking on the door for a third - incredible how this match has completely turned on its head. Liverpool still the strong favourites to progress through, of course, but it is no longer as straightforward as expected.
88 min Two away goals and now within three of Liverpool - we have a game on our hands in Rome next week. Would Eusebio Di Francesco take full time now? Maybe he can sense a third goal, which really would be an incredible turnaround.
86 min Roma have seriously stepped things up over the past five minutes, and they now have a route back into this match - mission impossible no more. Nainggolan's shot struck Milner's hand; Diego Perotti stepped up and put the pen in the top of the net.
85 min GOAL! LIVERPOOL 5-2 ROMA (DIEGO PEROTTI, PEN)
83 min Now then! Liverpool have looked far too comfortable since going five ahead - you cannot blame them too much for that - and Edin Dzeko has given his side the slimmest of hopes. Nainggolan with a ball over the top for the striker, who chested it down and blasted past Karius - great goal.
82 min GOAL! LIVERPOOL 5-1 ROMA (EDIN DZEKO)
81 min Roma fans making a bit of noise now, but even those travelling supporters know that their Champions League adventure is over. Coming back from three behind against Barcelona was special; doing so from five behind against Liverpool - no chance.
79 min That is now 28 goals for Firmino, Salah and Mane in the Champions League this season and 38 for Liverpool overall. Roma showing a bit more about themselves since going a fifth down, but it is very much too little, too late.
77 min Liverpool still have the luxury of another sub to make should they wish. Roma have already used all three of theirs, and that could spell trouble because Kevin Strootman has just started limping around the field - it could go from bad to worse.
75 min LIVERPOOL SUB! Dejan Lovren is cautioned for his challenge and Patrik Schick was then denied by Karius with a decent header. A second Liverpool change now, as Danny Ings comes on for Mohamed Salah with 15 minutes to go.
73 min This will now go down as one of the most famous nights in Liverpool's history. Five goals away to Porto, three at home to Man City and now five - and, let's face it, probably a sixth by full time - against a half-decent Roma side in the knockout stages alone.
71 min This is getting rather embarrassing for Roma now. The previous four goals have been well worked from the Reds' perspective, but this was a simple header for Firmino from a corner, getting the ball past Alisson with no visiting player on the post.
70 min GOAL! LIVERPOOL 5-0 ROMA (ROBERTO FIRMINO)
68 min ROMA SUBS! Di Francesco makes his final two changes, bringing on Maxime Gonalons and Diego Perotti for De Rossi and Jesus. The visitors are now in need of a miracle if they are to make it through to their first Champions League final.
66 min Liverpool can sense a fifth goal, and at this rate you would fancy them to get it. Roma, comeback specialists in this competition, were only ever three goals behind against Barcelona in the last round. This is surely already too much.
64 min I think it is fair to say after that fourth Liverpool goal that Di Francesco's use of wing-backs high up the pitch has not worked very well today. Those two quickfire goals in this second half were both created by Salah down the right in acres of space.
62 min Liverpool fans are in absolute dreamland! Roberto Firmino joins the party by adding his side's fourth goal of the evening, helping the ball over the line from all of a yard after being spotted by star man Mohamed Salah.
61 min GOAL! LIVERPOOL 4-0 ROMA (ROBERTO FIRMINO)
59 min SAVE! With an hour played Roma are at risk of being completely blown away. A shot from Sadio Mane was well hit but appeared to be blocked by either Alisson or a defender in front of the Brazilian goalkeeper, who has had to work overtime tonight.
57 min Liverpool have a foot in the Champions League final thanks to a third goal on the night! Mohamed Salah was, as ever, heavily involved, adding to his two goals with an assist for Sadio Mane. The ball was squared to the Senegalese to finish past Alisson from close range - game over?
56 min GOAL! LIVERPOOL 3-0 ROMA (SADIO MANE)
54 min Liverpool the side asking the questions over the past couple of minutes. It is worth pointing out at this stage that the Reds have not won any of their last seven European semi-final first-leg ties since 1984-85.
52 min Still awaiting the first real opening of this second half, with Roma looking to get a key away goal. Keeping the opposition out is arguably more important than netting a third as as the Reds are concerned - just ask Barcelona!
50 min Liverpool do not exactly have to force the issue here but they know that there are goals to be scored. A 2-0 lead is a good result to take to Rome next week, yet a third or fourth is there for the taking on the basis of the last 10 minutes of the first half.
48 min It will be interesting to see whether damage limitation is the order of the day for Roma in this second half. They have recovered from behind in both knockout rounds so far, remember, so this is not exactly a disastrous result for them.
46 min RESTART! We are back under way at Anfield, where Roma have made a half-time change. Patrick Schick is on for Cengiz Under, meaning that this is now the same XI that beat Barcelona 3-0 in the previous round.
I may have cursed Roma by suggesting that they had done enough to hold on for half time just a goal down, seconds before Mohamed Salah doubled his tally for the evening. A thrilling first half that the visitors edged for the opening 30 minutes or so, only for the Reds to take complete control and race two goals in front.
45+3 min HALF TIME: LIVERPOOL 2-0 ROMA
45+2 min There really is no stopping this man! Salah cushions a cleared Roma corner, lays it into the path of Firmino and is played through on goal by the Brazilian's return pass. With just Alisson to beat, Salah lifted it above his former teammate.
45+1 min GOAL! LIVERPOOL 2-0 ROMA (MOHAMED SALAH)
45 min SAVE! Wijnaldum the latest player to get in behind; Wijnaldum the latest player to force Alisson into a save. The visitors appear to have done enough to hold on for half time just the one goal behind. Firmino's shot deflects wide.
44 min Liverpool, who had Trent Alexander-Arnold cautioned for a late challenge a couple of minutes ago, almost in for a third but Sadio Mane could not quite cut inside Alessandro Florenzi and Alisson picked up the loose ball.
42 min OFF THE BAR! So nearly a second for Liverpool, as Dejan Lovren gets his head to the corner and sends it against the crossbar. Roma, so good for the opening half an hour, are now left holding on for half time.
40 min I ran out of superlatives for Salah a long, long time ago, but a strike of this quality in a fixture of this magnitude really will see him go down in Liverpool folklore. The Reds have been phenomenal over the last 10 minutes and that goal had been coming.
38 min Two minutes after Sadio Mane had a goal ruled out for offside after getting on the end of an Andrew Robertson cross, Mohamed Salah - who else? - opens the scoring for the home side. An unbelievable goal it was, too - the Egyptian cut inside on his left and bent it past Alisson via the crossbar from 16 yards.
37 min GOAL! LIVERPOOL 1-0 ROMA (MOHAMED SALAH)
35 min Mane with a couple of chances after getting in behind and Salah forcing a good save out of Alisson - Liverpool are building more and more momentum after a pretty slow start by their standards. Roma, though, have also showed they have a goal in them.
33 min The hosts have finally managed to step things up over the past five or six minutes and it is starting to tell. Roma now the ones being pegged back and, if not for that Alisson stop a few moments ago, the Reds would have been a goal to the good.
31 min SAVE! A third save for Alisson, and this one was the best of the lot so far. Salah was alert and curled his shot towards the bottom corner, only for the Brazilian keeper to get enough to the ball to help it wide.
29 min CHANCE! Juan Jesus is shown the game's first yellow card for a mistimed challenge on Sadio Mane. Liverpool then with their best chance of the match, as Mane is sent clear but lifts the ball over Alisson and the crossbar.
27 min Roma's high pressing causing Liverpool plenty of problems in the opening half an hour of the match. A couple of on-target attempts each, but it is the visitors who have come closest through Kolarov's belter that hit the crossbar.
25 min Incidentally, Kolarov is devoid for any blame regarding that Oxlade-Chamberlain injury - it was a coming together that unfortunately left one play worse off than the other. Twenty-five minutes played and Roma are edging things here.
23 min Almost a howler from Karius, although some credit must go to him for redeeming himself somewhat by getting a fingertip to the ball. Oxlade-Chamberlain has now finally made his way down the tunnel - a possible season-ending injury.
21 min OFF THE BAR! Roma's spell of pressure so nearly tells. Aleksandar Kolarov puts all sorts of swerve on his long-range shot, which caught Karius by surprise and thumped the crossbar. Replays show, though, that the German keeper did get a touch to the ball.
19 min LIVERPOOL SUB! Roma have now taken control of this game, taking advantage of the temporary one-man advantage. The change has now been made - Georginio Wijnaldum is on for Oxlade-Chamberlain, who requires a stretcher.
17 min The game resumes, minus Oxlade-Chamberlain, with a dangerous cross into the box for Lovren to head clear. Oxlade-Chamberlain will spend some time receiving treatment on the sidelines before a decision is made on whether he can continue.
15 min This could be a big blow for Liverpool as, following a shin-on-shin challenge with Kolarov, Oxlade-Chamberlain has stayed down in some pain. Wijnaldum has instantly been sent to warm-up and the Englishman may well have to be replaced.
13 min I'm happy to report that the linesman now has a working flag! A shoot-on-sight policy from both sides, perhaps because of the wet weather which could make conditions difficult for both goalkeepers. This one is not remaining goalless.
11 min SAVE! Oxlade-Chamberlain gets a shot away from 30 yards, which is right down the throat of Liverpool-linked goalkeeper Alisson for an easy save. Moments later, Nainggolan was wayward at the other end from a similar range.
9 min CHANCE! Firmino, maybe just offside, gets in behind but is unable to square the ball to one of his teammates - instead to ball fizzes right across the face of goal. The linesman's flag is still not in operation... farcical!
7 min Fingers crossed that is a sign of things to come tonight, as Roma and Liverpool have already managed to get a shot on target apiece. A stoppage in play now because the linesman's flag has snapped, leading to a replacement being carried on.
5 min SAVES! An early opportunity for the visitors, which saw Dzeko lay the ball off for Strootman to side-foot down the middle, where Karius was waiting to collect. Liverpool countered, Salah cut inside on his left but Alisson made a simple stop.
3 min It is worth pointing out that Roma, who are third in the Serie A standings thanks to a superior goal difference on city rivals Lazio, have conceded eight of their 27 league goals in the final 15 minutes of matches this season.
1 min KICKOFF! Brilliant atmosphere inside Anfield tonight, as you would expect for a game of this calibre. Roma are the side to get us up and running in this semi-final, sporting an all-white away strip and being jeered with each of their passes.
Truly, I would vote M. Salah for president right now if possible. Mehn! Liver pool practically stole every atom of hope from Roma!
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