Edin Dzeko said the 3-0 over Barcelona was “one of the best games Roma fans have seen” and now aim to upset Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool.
The Giallorossi will be at Anfield on Tuesday night for the first leg of their Champions League semi-final.
“From the group stage even, nobody expected us to go through, because we were in a group with Atletico Madrid, who reach the semis every year, and Chelsea, who are one of the biggest teams,” Dzeko told The Telegraph newspaper.
Edin Dzeko said the 3-0 over Barcelona was “one of the best games Roma fans have seen” and now aim to upset Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool.
The Giallorossi will be at Anfield on Tuesday night for the first leg of their Champions League semi-final.
“From the group stage even, nobody expected us to go through, because we were in a group with Atletico Madrid, who reach the semis every year, and Chelsea, who are one of the biggest teams,” Dzeko told The Telegraph newspaper.
“We were not favourites to pass the group stage, but we did it. In the quarter-finals, you know, people say – who do you want to play? I said – I don’t want to play Barcelona or Manchester City. Then you get Barcelona.”
That 4-1 first leg defeat at Camp Nou did not reflect the performance, but still left them with a mountain to climb in an extraordinary 3-0 triumph at the Stadio Olimpico.
“We were relaxed, actually, but not in the sense that we thought – we’re already dead, already out. We said – ok, we definitely didn’t have anything to lose after the 4-1 in Barcelona.
“We definitely have the quality to beat any team but after you lose 4-1 nobody expects you to come back. But the stadium was full, our fans were there, and we had to go for it. When you score in the first minutes everything changes. It definitely gave us more energy to score those three goals.
“The away goal was the crucial one. At 3-1 in Barcelona, I said – 3-1 is not a bad result. You can play at home and try to score three goals. When we conceded the fourth we knew it would be difficult because it was Barcelona. But in the second game we just played one of the best games Roma fans have seen in history.”
Now they’ll have to face their former star Salah, who is shattering Premier League records at Liverpool.
“First of all it’s such a shame he left here, but obviously he had to go. At the end he did right because he’s doing some amazing things in the Premier League, which is not the easiest league to play in,” continued Dzeko.
“Momo’s a great player and a great guy and hopefully he can break some records this year because 40 goals in England is a lot. I hope he’s going to score more in the Premier League but not the Champions League.
“I know Jurgen Klopp from Germany. I know the style he wants to play – and that’s attacking football. We are the kind of team as well who like to attack.
“Roma have to be positive, otherwise it will be a difficult task. Knowing Klopp, and Liverpool at Anfield, they will go for it in the first game. We’ll be prepared. We have to be.
“We’re a team. One word. Team. Everything we achieve now we did it as a team. Not as individuals, but as a team, because we always believed when no-one believed in us and we gave everything in every game.”
Dzeko could’ve left Roma in January when a huge offer came in from Chelsea, but he was never particularly tempted.
“I’m definitely happy I stayed. It’s a big club and I was happy when I heard that they really wanted me, but in the end I think I did well because I wanted to play Champions League.
“I wanted to try to reach first of all the quarter-finals – which I never did – and now I’m in the semis trying to reach the final. It means I decided well.”