Reds to strike first
Three down with no away goal against the might of Messi and Barcelona? Sounds like mission impossible for Liverpool but get off to a good start and you just never know…
First leg: Better team lost
If you hadn’t watched the first leg at the Camp Nou and just tuned in to check the result post-match, you’d have presumed Liverpool had been outclassed by the Spanish Champions. 3-0 wouldn’t have been a result at all surprising, just typical of the tournament favourites. This was far from the case though.
Liverpool gave as good as they got last Wednesday and controlled the game for large periods. I’m not usually one for stats but 53% possession and 15 shots supports my view that the Premier League title challengers didn’t just turn up and surrender - they gave as good as they got and can be considered unfortunate to be in the position they find themselves in.
Now, they’re not the first - and certainly won’t be the last - to succumb to Messi I think that’s fair to say. But a side to have scored well in excess of 100 goals would have fancied their chances of scoring at least once. 4 shots on target from their array of chances though points to a rare ‘off night’ in front of goal, a scenario the Reds can ill-afford in the return.
‘Start fast and let’s see what happens’
You can almost imagine Jurgen Klopp revving up his troops pre-match with those exact words. First tackle, first shot, first corner and ultimately, the first goal, here are of utmost importance if Liverpool have any chance whatsoever of doing the unthinkable.
To be fair, it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary in relation to what they’ve been doing domestically this season. Klopp’s side have scored the game’s first in 27 out of their 37 PL games including 14/18 at Anfield.
Setting the tone right and letting Barcelona know they’re in for a game is essential on the night. Barca are hardly on the beach given a league and European cup double is at stake but I’m not sure resting all 11 players in their defeat to Celta Vigo was the best idea. Yes, rest can be a welcome relief at this stage but momentum can be underrated too - you can’t help but feel this may have been lost a little with that decision.
Liverpool vs. Barcelona betting tip
Do Liverpool stand a chance at all? Hand on heart, probably not. But both teams have history when it comes to three goal swings (Liverpool winning in ’05 and Barca losing to Roma last year) so the prospect can’t be ruled out completely.
They need the first goal though, preferably early, to stand any hope and it’s a thought I’m hedging my bet on here.
Bet: Liverpool to score first goal @ 4/5 (Ladbrokes)
