'Reds stand on the brink of greatness' - the press on LFC reaching Kiev

Despite losing the second leg 4-2 at the Stadio Olimpico, the Reds held on to book their ticket to meet Real Madrid in the Ukrainian capital on May 26.

See what the media made of the five-times winners reaching yet another European Cup final below.

Rome sweet Rome. Once again the Eternal City was painted red as Liverpool secured their passage to the Champions League final on a nerve-shredding night at the Stadio Olimpico. The scene of two of the club's European Cup triumphs was the setting for another monumental achievement as Jürgen Klopp's side dug deep to survive a late Roma onslaught. The scenes of unbridled joy showed just what it meant. Virgil van Dijk dropped to his knees at the final whistle, while Klopp charged on to the field to wrap his arms around each of his shattered heroes. The party in the away end was already under way. 'Allez, Allez, Allez', the soundtrack of this remarkable continental adventure , will echo around the streets of Kiev on May 26. Real Madrid stand between Liverpool and a sixth European crown in a repeat of the 1981 final in Paris. It was telling that Klopp's players re-emerged from the dressing room after the locals had dispersed to join in the celebrations with the 5,000-strong travelling Kop. At first they stood on the edge of the pitch dancing and singing before Sadio Mane dashed across the running track to get closer to their adoring public. His teammates followed suit as shirts were thrown in and scarves and hats tossed back. The flag bearing the name of Sean Cox was held aloft. The emotion was raw. This was Liverpool – the powerful, unified force who have stunned Europe on this dazzling journey. This was the resurgent Liverpool whose 11-year wait to grace the biggest game in club football is over. Klopp, the architect of this stunning revival, punched the air in delight. From a qualifier against Hoffenheim in August to a final meeting with 12-times winners Real, it's the stuff of fairytales. Yet Klopp's men have proved they belong on this stage. No other club in Champions League history has ever scored 46 goals en route to the final. Now the Reds stand on the brink of greatness. Finish the job off in the Ukrainian capital and this crop of players will be remembered as legends forever.

James Pearce, Liverpool Echo

In one of the world’s most beautiful cities, one of the world’s great romances continues. There are some things that just go together. Lennon and McCartney, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Rush and Dalglish. Liverpool and the European Cup. The love affair is as strong as ever. Next stop Kiev. “Fight for your dream,” Jürgen Klopp told his players before this game. He spoke of courage, of history, of belief, of hope. He spoke of the occasion, the spotlight, the big stage. How would his players, his boys, handle it all? The answer; quite nicely, thank you very much. The cup with the big ears already has a permanent residence at Anfield, but Klopp’s men reckon they can get their hands on it later this month. Real Madrid stand in their way. It promises to be something very special indeed. They don’t do dull, Liverpool. They put their supporters through hell at times. What they must do to their manager’s heart rate is anyone’s guess. Even here, in a tie they led 5-0, 6-2 and 7-3, relaxation was off the agenda. Reds fans sung their hearts out all night, but boy did they suffer too. As one female supporter put it “it’s a good job my nails are fake, because I’ve done nothing but chew them!” That’s the price of supporting this side. How can a team be so brilliant and yet at the same time so flawed? Lord knows what will happen in the final.

Neil Jones, Goal.com

Even by Liverpool’s own incredible standards, this will go down as one of their most dramatic European nights. A night never to be forgotten, a night to go down in Liverpool folklore and a night when Jürgen Klopp took this great club another step towards a sixth European Cup. Thirteen goals over the course of two legs, the scoreline is almost misleading because Liverpool never really came close to blowing it even if Roma got to within a goal of completing the most remarkable fightback. Liverpool never, ever do it the easy way but Klopp’s philosophy of attack being the best form of defence means that we can expect another thrill-a-minute encounter in the final in Kiev against Real Madrid on May 26. There is always a sense of destiny with Liverpool and they reached their eighth European Cup final in the stadium where they won the trophy in 1984. History looms large again as they beat Real Madrid in the European Cup final in 1981 and now they face each other again with Klopp desperate to write a new chapter in the record books.

John Cross, Daily Mirror

Patience isn't one of the qualities you naturally associate with Jürgen Klopp given his manic touchline gestures that accompany the ferocity of his players. Yet the German knows when to play the long game – and Virgil van Dijk's role in taking Liverpool to the Champions League final proves it. Although Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane have grabbed headlines all season, it was the reassuring presence of their £75million defender that meant a remarkable semi-final comeback from Roma was never on the cards despite a spirited attempt and two late goals to give them victory on the night. With 80,000 packed into the Stadio Olimpico, Van Dijk looked and played the part of a commander-in-chief at the back until the job was effectively done. This is why Klopp ignored huge pressure to sign another centre-half in the summer when the club botched their move for Van Dijk. He waited until the Dutchman was available in January and boy has it worked.

Joe Bernstein, MailOnline

This story has been reproduced from the media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.