Liverpool news: Mohamed Salah 'destiny' claim made by Robbie Fowler

That’s the verdict of Reds legend Robbie Fowler, who says the Italian giants were "petrified" by the winger in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final at Anfield.

Salah has shone since returning to the Premier League last summer and scored his 42nd and 43rd goals of the season against Roma last Tuesday.

Those strikes, as well as a brace from Roberto Firmino and a goal from Sadio Mane, helped secure a 5-2 win over Eusebio Di Francesco’s side for Liverpool.

Liverpool travel to Italy this coming week in the hope that they can reach a second European final of Jurgen Klopp’s tenure at Anfield.

And Fowler, who scored 183 goals in two spells at Liverpool, has offered an insight into what hotshot Salah will be thinking ahead of the Roma clash.

"The key [vs Roma] was Salah, of course," Fowler told the . "They were terrified of him.

"They backed off because they were so scared of him jinking past to get in behind and that created space not just for him, but for Firmino and Mane too, as well as the full-backs.

"That, to me, will be a key issue for the second leg. Roma’s defenders were frozen in fear – sometimes literally – by him and that is not going to disappear in the space of a week. They will be just as petrified.

"I also think that, for all their [Roma] ­defensive excellence in the Stadio Olimpico this season and for all the talk of them not conceding a goal in the Champions League there, Liverpool will be confident they can score in Rome.

"Hell. Salah will think he’s destined to score against his old club, and that will be a good thing."

Salah’s brace against Roma took him to 10 goals in 11 Champions League appearances this season.

Only Cristiano Ronaldo has scored more goals in the competition this term, with the Real Madrid ace bagging 15 times.