He clearly has a high opinion of Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Liverpool will face AS Roma on Tuesday evening in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final, having defeated Manchester City and FC Porto on their way to the latter stages.
Much has been made of both sides’ luck in drawing each other and avoiding both Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in the process, despite their hugely impressive quarter-final wins against Manchester City and Barcelona.
That opinion is not however shared by Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan, who was discussing the tie in a recent interview with Belgian newspaper Het Laaste Nieuws.
The Belgian central midfielder, who has been a revelation since moving to the Italian capital in 2014, was asked whether he and his Roma teammates were relieved to have drawn against Liverpool, and his response showed just how dangerous Klopp’s side are considered.
Asked whether he was satisfied with drawing the Premier League side, he said:
No, I think Liverpool is the toughest team of the three. Not because they have more quality than Real Madrid and Bayern, but because it is a team that gives a lot of effort and has nothing to lose. Believe me, it will be very difficult. Real and Bayern could have underestimated us, like Barcelona, but in Liverpool there are warriors, a bit like us.
The 29-year-old also had some kind words for his former teammate and current Liverpool striker Mo Salah, when asked if he was surprised with the Egyptian’s stellar form this season.
It does not surprise me, he has always had these qualities. The only difference is that now he has had more opportunities. Perhaps he has learned to be more ruthless on goal.
He continued:
He is a winner, I am a fan of his.
It’s safe to assume that Liverpool fans would agree.
