UCL 2nd Leg

There was plenty of attacking intent from these two five-time European champions but it was the home side who took the lead when Jordi Alba's fine cross was expertly guided past Alisson by Luis Suárez.

Sadio Mané skied a presentable chance to level before the break while James Milner, twice, and Mohamed Salah forced Marc-André ter Stegen into saves after it. Lionel Messi, not for the first time, proved to be a class apart.


Luis Suárez struck first for the hosts©AFP/Getty Images

Barça's talisman poached their second after Suárez had rattled the bar before giving his team a healthy cushion to take to Anfield with a sensational free-kick to bring up his 600 for the Catalan club.

View from the stadium: Graham Hunter

As astonishing as football can be, and despite the fact I've been watching football here at Camp Nou for at least a quarter of a century, I've rarely seen a match as remarkable as this.

It's inescapable that Liverpool could have won, possibly should have. But Barcelona stayed doggedly faithful to their belief that if they fed Messi things would happen and, somehow, they did. That 3-0 free-kick ranks with the best of his 600 club goals. Utterly remarkable.

Man of the match: Lionel Messi


Messi takes the acclaim following his first goal©Getty Images

It seemed only a matter of time before Liverpool fashioned what would have been a deserved equaliser at Camp Nou – until Messi decided to take matters into his own hands. If his first of the game showed sheer determined goalscoring instinct, the free-kick seven minutes later almost defied belief. The Argentinian maestro has put Barça on the brink of another UEFA Champions League final – 14 years to the day since he bagged his first goal for the club.

Key stats

3: Barcelona have scored three or more goals in eight of their last ten UEFA Champions League knockout-stage home matches.

12: Suárez's last 12 UEFA Champions League goals have come at Camp Nou.


THE TEAM NEWS

Liverpool face Barcelona over two legs in the semi-final of the Champions League next month, looking to reach the final for a second season running.

The tie will be the Reds' biggest test of the competition so far and Jurgen Klopp must find a way of stopping Lionel Messi if his side have any chance of progressing.

One player Klopp is more familiar with, and you'd think would know how to contain, is Philippe Coutinho.

The Brazilian played under Klopp at Anfield before pushing through a £142million transfer to Barcelona back in January 2018.

Coutinho was recently back in the UK for Barcelona's Champions League quarter-final clash against Manchester United.



LIVERPOOL

Predicted line-up (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Wijnaldum, Milner, Fabinho; Salah, Firmino, Mane

Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde says claiming LaLiga on Saturday will give the Catalans a big boost ahead of their Champions League quarter-final first leg against Liverpool on Wednesday.

Valverde’s side are at home to struggling Levante and a win would see the Blaugrana confirmed as champions with three rounds of the competition still remaining.

“It’s possible there will be one or two changes,” Valverde said in his pre-match press conference on Friday.

“But we have four days until the game against Liverpool and winning tomorrow, for what it signifies, is something powerful ahead of Wednesday.

“They have one more day of rest (the Reds face Huddersfield in the Premier League on Friday), so we could give one or two players a rest.”

Asked about the game against Levante, Valverde said: “It will be complicated, but we are playing for the title. We have a margin (for error), but we don’t want to fail and it’s the game in which we want to be champions.”


Atletico Madrid are in second place, nine points behind Barca, and the Catalans will be champions before kick-off on Saturday if Diego Simeone’s side lose at home to Valladolid earlier in the day.

“What I want is to win,” Valverde said. “After Atletico’s game or on the pitch. What do you want me to say? The league is hard enough as it is. What we hope is that tomorrow is a party.”

And he added: “Atletico have been great competitors, they are pushing us all the way to the end.”

If score two early goals, the match adun gan ni.

Suprise evening loading

Today is today!

Winner of UEFA 2019 most likely Barca or Liverpool.

Game on

Dominique this is for second leg ooooo

I foresee a stalemate

kayusely70:
I foresee a stalemate

Former Liverpool player, Luis Suarez is a goal 1-0
2nd leg is war

Messi is a goal 2-0 Return leg will be fire! Dominique

Messi is mercilessly 3-0, return leg is just a formating

There was plenty of attacking intent from these two five-time European champions but it was the home side who took the lead when Jordi Alba's fine cross was expertly guided past Alisson by Luis Suárez.

Sadio Mané skied a presentable chance to level before the break while James Milner, twice, and Mohamed Salah forced Marc-André ter Stegen into saves after it. Lionel Messi, not for the first time, proved to be a class apart.



Luis Suárez struck first for the hosts©AFP/Getty Images

Barça's talisman poached their second after Suárez had rattled the bar before giving his team a healthy cushion to take to Anfield with a sensational free-kick to bring up his 600 for the Catalan club.

View from the stadium: Graham Hunter

As astonishing as football can be, and despite the fact I've been watching football here at Camp Nou for at least a quarter of a century, I've rarely seen a match as remarkable as this.

It's inescapable that Liverpool could have won, possibly should have. But Barcelona stayed doggedly faithful to their belief that if they fed Messi things would happen and, somehow, they did. That 3-0 free-kick ranks with the best of his 600 club goals. Utterly remarkable.

Man of the match: Lionel Messi



Messi takes the acclaim following his first goal©Getty Images

It seemed only a matter of time before Liverpool fashioned what would have been a deserved equaliser at Camp Nou – until Messi decided to take matters into his own hands. If his first of the game showed sheer determined goalscoring instinct, the free-kick seven minutes later almost defied belief. The Argentinian maestro has put Barça on the brink of another UEFA Champions League final – 14 years to the day since he bagged his first goal for the club.

Key stats

3: Barcelona have scored three or more goals in eight of their last ten UEFA Champions League knockout-stage home matches.

12: Suárez's last 12 UEFA Champions League goals have come at Camp Nou.

Can Salah and Saido score 4 unrepled goals against Barca

Firmino out, Salah 40/60 to play

All ye agents just posting nonsense

Mancity leading Leceister 1-0 End of Liverpool season

May be Vincent Kompany can replace Sallah tonight

LIKES for Liverpool.....SHARES for Barca.

LIKES for Mane.....Shares for Messi.

The final nailing

Liverpool amaka

WE NEVER WALK ALONE

.

Let the game begin...

Messi will score 3 goals

Any streaming site for the match

liverpool go hear am , back to back.....forca barca