Liverpool’s battle with Roma in the Champions League semi-final in 2018 was certainly a memorable one.
The Reds headed for the second leg in Italy after a confident 5-2 win at Anfield, so the tie looked done when Sadio Mane notched the first goal at the Stadio Olimpico.
There was a whiff of a comeback when James Milner turned the ball into his own net, and despite Georginio Wijnaldum taking Liverpool’s aggregate score to seven before half-time.
Radja Nainggolan explains why football needed VAR earlier
Then came the belief. Former Manchester City man Edin Dzeko netted not long after the interval, before a quickfire Radja Nainggolan double in the closing stages of the match took Roma to within just one goal of sending the game to extra-time.
In the end, time ran out on the Italian side, but not without a sense of injustice.
With the game locked at 2-2 on the night just past the hour mark, Trent Alexander-Arnold dived to block a Stephan El Shaarawy shot from point-blank range.
The Merseysider wasn’t looking at the ball, but his arms were raised as he leapt into the path of the ball, and it deflected off his hand and over the bar, having looked like it was destined for goal.
However, referee Damir Skomina missed it in real time, and VAR would not be introduced to Europe’s premier competition for another couple of seasons.
It’s a point the scorer of Roma’s late double, Nainggolan, struggles to let go of, even eight years on.
“We deserved to play in the final,” the Belgian laments to FourFourTwo now.
“Trent Alexander-Arnold handballed a Stephan El Shaarawy cross – that should have been a red card and a penalty for us. But the referee didn’t see anything and we were eliminated.
“Today, with VAR, it would have been us playing in the final against Real Madrid.”
It clearly still rankles with Nainggolan today, but it likely provided some comfort to the midfielder that Liverpool were defeated in the final, thanks to a famous Gareth Bale double.
