Barcelona vs Liverpool: Barcelona are on the cusp of the 2019
UEFA Champions League final ahead of their semi-final second leg against
Liverpool at Anfield on Tuesday. Everything You Need to Know about the Barcelona vs Liverpool UEFA Champions League 2nd match.
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Barcelona vs Liverpool
The Blaugrana hold a 3-0 aggregate lead after Luis Suarez and Lionel
Messi dismantled the Reds at the Camp Nou last week. Manager Ernesto
Valverde rested his star strikers for Saturday's game with Celta Vigo in
La Liga, a 2-0 defeat, although Barca had already wrapped up the title.
By contrast, Liverpool's first team were pushed all the way during a 3-2
win away to Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday. The
result put the Reds a point ahead of Manchester City, who host Leicester
City on Monday, in an intense title race.
Victory over Newcastle also came at a cost as attacking talisman Mohamed
Salah was stretchered off with a head injury. Liverpool manager Jurgen
Klopp announced Monday that Salah has been ruled out for the match after
being diagnosed with a concussion, making what was already a difficult
task look like mission impossible for Liverpool.
Having Salah start would have been a major boost to Liverpool's chances
of producing a remarkable comeback. His pace caused problems during the
first leg, and the Egypt international's record in front of goal is
something Barca would have feared.
Salah is not the only player ruled out for Liverpool. Klopp confirmed
Roberto Firmino won't recover from a muscle injury in time to feature.
It means Klopp has a choice to make between Daniel Sturridge and Divock
Origi for who operates through the middle of Liverpool's forward line.
Origi may have earned his chance after coming off the bench to net the
winner against the Magpies and keep the Reds in the thick of the
domestic title race.
Barca still have enough firepower to net a priceless away goal, even if
Ousmane Dembele will miss out after being withdrawn early against Celta.
Dembele is an inconsistent talent who has yet to fulfil his potential
in a Barcelona shirt. Messi, Suarez and former Liverpool playmaker
Philippe Coutinho will pose bigger problems for the hosts.
Messi ran riot during the first leg, engineering another moment of
history in his decorated career. Keeping Messi quiet on Merseyside seems
unlikely after Liverpool's usually rock-solid defence has shown signs
of vulnerability lately, conceding five times in the last two matches.
