Date: Tuesday 7th May
Time: 8:00pm
Stadium: Anfield
Referee: Cuneyt Cakir
1st Leg Aggregates : 0 : 3
Goal Scorer: 7',79' Divock Origi, 54', 56' Georginio Wijnaldum
Team News
Liverpool have a mountain to climb in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final meeting with Barcelona at Anfield on Tuesday night.
Liverpool
Liverpool top scorer Mohamed Salah was stretchered off with a head injury at St James' Park over the weekend, though there is an outside chance of the Egyptian featuring on Tuesday night. However, both Roberto Firmino and Naby Keita are missing with groin strains.
Adam Lallana completes the list of those unavailable for Jurgen Klopp, the out-of-favour midfielder currently sidelined with a muscular problem. Fortunately for the coach, none of his squad are suspended for a pivotal match in their season.
Predicted Lineup Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Henderson; Shaqiri, Mane, Sturridge.
Barcelona
Barça centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo is ineligible for European action, whilst Ousmane Dembele will miss out after suffering a hamstring tear over the weekend.
Rafinha has been out of action since November after rupturing his anterior cruciate knee ligament and will not return until next term, Valverde having no further casualties to account for.
Predicted Lineup ter Stegen; Roberto, Pique, Lenglet, Alba; Busquets, Rakitic, Vidal; Messi, Coutinho, Suarez.
Head to Head Record
This will be the 10th time the two sides have locked horns, the record perfectly balanced at three wins apiece. However, the Mersyesiders have emerged triumphant in just one of the last five match-ups, Craig Bellamy and John Arne Riise both scoring in a 2-1 away victory 12 years ago.
Messi was on the pitch that day, yet struggled to impact proceedings as he and his teammates were booted out of the Champions League. Things were rather different last Wednesday, however, with the Argentine magician single-handedly dismantling a stunned Reds outfit.
He brought up 600 goals for the club he joined as a wide-eyed 13-year-old with a freakishly accurate free-kick in the first leg, the crowd brought to its feet by a goal of supreme majesty. That delicious strike compounded Klopp's misery and completed a perfect night for Valverde.
Suarez had broken the deadlock midway through the opening period, nudging Jordi Alba's tantalising cross past the helpless Alisson. Messi then walked the ball in after the break when the Uruguayan's improvised effort rebounded off the crossbar, his sumptuous strike minutes later topping off a marvellous performance.
Recent Form
Celta Vigo 2-0 Barcelona (04/5) Newcastle United 2-3 Liverpool (04/5)
Barcelona 3-0 Liverpool (01/5) Barcelona 3-0 Liverpool (01/5)
Barcelona 1-0 Levante (27/4) Liverpool 5-0 Huddersfield Town (26/4)
Alaves 0-2 Barcelona (23/4) Cardiff City 0-2 Liverpool (21/4)
Barcelona 2-1 Real Sociedad (20/4) Porto 1-4 Liverpool (17/4)
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