After a round of arguably the most exciting quarter final ties the Champions League has ever seen, football fans around the world were awaiting the semi-final draw with bated breath.
Liverpool are set to play Roma, while Bayern Munich will play Real Madrid.
Reds fans will be unsurprisingly buzzing with the outcome of the draw as they've arguably managed to avoid the more dangerous opposition, while Bayern Munich and Real Madrid fans will be disappointed they weren't the ones to draw Roma...
The Giallorossi's English Twitter account kicked things off in style...
If you give it out, you've got to be able to take it as well! 😅
— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) April 13, 2018
Fair play @TrollFootball 👏#UCLDraw pic.twitter.com/e1kj0lOWDq
Liverpool fans when they see they've drawn Roma in the Champions League semi-final #UCLDraw pic.twitter.com/JgDy9BqaIT
— BenchWarmers (@BeWarmers) April 13, 2018
.@OfficialRadja we won't be cracking a joke next time we meet 💪🏼🇧🇪😜 #UCLDraw pic.twitter.com/yWhLvo0AX0
— Simon Mignolet (@SMignolet) April 13, 2018
Of course, Liverpool drawing Roma will see Mohamed Salah make a return to his former club, with the Egyptian having made the move from the Stadio Olimpico to Anfield in June 2017, with both the Giallarossi and Salah himself looking forward to a reunion
We’ll be opponents for 180 minutes, but whatever happens we’ll remain friends for life. Looking forward to seeing you again, @22mosalah! 👋#ASRoma #UCL #RomaLiverpool pic.twitter.com/eo0Rm4VWW9
— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) April 13, 2018
100%
— Mohamed Salah (@22mosalah) April 13, 2018
Naturally Liverpool fans will be relishing such a reunion, with Salah in red-hot goal scoring form, and with the Reds being the only team left in the competition yet to be beaten, Liverpool fans were naturally confident.
Rome is a beautiful city, one of my favourite places in the world in fact. It’s a shame Mo Salah is going to have to destroy it. https://t.co/zUylzoWGTq
— Ü (@ThoseScouseLads) April 13, 2018
I can’t lie. I can smell Kiev.
— - (@AnfieldRd96) April 13, 2018
Bayern in the final with Klopp vs Heynckes pic.twitter.com/8HDV1nOOwF
— Rex (@ThatRexGuy) April 13, 2018
However, the only real worry for Liverpool would be the order in which the games were drawn, with Anfield set to host the first leg, and the second leg to be played at the Stadio Olimpico. Naturally some supporters were more calm-headed than others.
No real qualms about the first-leg being at Anfield. Worked a treat against City; blew them away at home and went to The Etihad knowing one away goal would do the trick.
— Leanne Prescott (@_lfcleanne) April 13, 2018
Roma get 2nd leg at home? pic.twitter.com/M3MSyDdx9S
— Paul (@Kolology) April 13, 2018
However, in spite of fortune seemingly smiling upon Liverpool, there is speculation surrounding the legitimacy of the draw, with many fans speculating the fixtures were predetermined.
This controversy surfaced after an image showing Roma advertising tickets for a game against Liverpool were uncovered hours before the draw actually took place.
#UCL | La #Roma pubblicizza i biglietti con il #Liverpool prima dell'#UCLDraw https://t.co/zzZlqDz2W0
— Gianluca Di Marzio (@DiMarzio) April 13, 2018
So apparently a fan spotted Roma selling tickets to the semi final vs Liverpool 3 hours before the draw... 🤦♂️ #UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/oMbB7uBYOv
— Big Chunkz (@Chunkz_EN) April 13, 2018
As shown in the image, Roma are advertised to be playing against Liverpool, with the second leg taking place in Rome on the 2nd May.
Potential draw fixing aside, Liverpool vs Roma promises to be a thoroughly exciting tie, with the last game between the two sides ending in a 2-0 victory for the Reds.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid were facing the prospect of a repeat of the 2016/17 quarter finals, whereby Los Blancos ran out 6-3 aggregate winners in a campaign whereby the Madrid outfit went on to lift the grand prize for the second successive year.
We meet again. #UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/MjqYagDXU5
— FC Bayern US (@FCBayernUS) April 13, 2018
💫🏆 We'll face @FCBayern in the Champions League semi-finals!#APorLa13 | #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/L260MzkNn6
— Real Madrid C.F.🇺🇸🇬🇧 (@realmadriden) April 13, 2018
This man knows a thing or two about our semi-final opponent.#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/78lE4XRvKZ
— FC Bayern US (@FCBayernUS) April 13, 2018
Good to see you again, @FCBayern. Amazing semi-final! #UCLDraw #HalaMadridYnadaMás pic.twitter.com/XnUsg5mU8T
— Álvaro Arbeloa (@aarbeloa17) April 13, 2018
Naturally, after being eliminated by Real last season, Bayern weren't overly thrilled with the outcome of the draw, although the Bavarians have the potential to cause an upset after Zinedine Zidane's men narrowly survived a quarter final scare against Juventus.
Bayern Munich fans right now #UCLDraw pic.twitter.com/czq17BDbHK
— Khaleenaldo 7 (@Rx_Khaleel) April 13, 2018
Just a reminder that whoever we get in the semi-finals, Cristiano has scored against them 😉 #UCLDraw pic.twitter.com/SFwAfL9kUg
— TheCristianoFan (@TheCristianoFan) April 13, 2018
After an exciting draw and Twitter's usual emphatic reaction to proceedings, it was former England striker turned pundit, Gary Lineker, who summed up the situation the best...
The last time the 4 semi-finalists were from Italy, England, Germany and Spain was in 1981. The winners were Liverpool.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) April 13, 2018
And, needless to say, Liverpool faced Real Madrid in the final... make what you will of that.