Kostas Manolas: How AS Roma plan to stop Mohamed Salah

by Phumzile Ngcatshe

Tuesday Apr 24, 2018. 09:00

AS Roma defender Kostas Manolas has revealed how they plan to stop Egypt international Mohamed Salah.

The left-footed forward has been unstoppable in the English Premier League and UEFA Champions League for Liverpool FC this season

Salah, who joined the Reds from Italian Serie A giants Roma in June 2017, has remarkably netted 41 goals in 46 matches in all competitions.

The prolific attacker will now face his former team-mates at Roma in the two-legged Champions League semi-final tie.

"We won’t man-mark Salah, because we stopped Barcelona and Leo Messi with teamwork, so we can stop Salah the same way. It won’t be easy, of course, but we are ready," Manolas told La Stampa.

"Our belief this season comes from the philosophy of football that the coach gives us. Roma must never change their way of thinking, no matter the opponent," he said.

Roma are having a good season under their Italian manager Eusebio de Francesco having thrashed SPAL 3-0 away over the weekend.

"Di Francesco is a very European coach, he always asks us to dominate the game with pressing and intensity," the Greece international continued.

"It’s also true that we ought to have another six or seven points in Serie A, but when we play in the Champions League, it does bring something more out of us.”

Liverpool will host Roma in the first-leg match at the Anfield Stadium on Tuesday. The second-leg clash will be played next week Wednesday in Rome.