Liverpool meet Wednesday in one of the most highly anticipated Champions League semifinals in recent memory. The first leg is set for 3 p.m. ET at the Camp Nou between two teams that were viewed as contenders when the competition began in August. Barcelona enters this match fresh off of winning La Liga
Barcelona: Barca just won La Liga while resting players, so the team will be fresh entering this one. This team has UCL dreams that have fallen short each of the last three seasons, so this is as good a chance as ever as the winner of this tie will be the heavy favorite in the final. But Barca has to be careful to not concede. The defense looks out of sync at times but the attack is so powerful it's hard to notice. Barca is in for a battle.
Liverpool: Will Roberto Firmino play? That's the big question after he was rested on Friday against Huddersfield. If the Brazilian can't go, it changes a bit of what this team will do. Firmino's hold-up play is huge when it comes to creating chances for Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.
Barcelona expected to dominate possession with the midfield metronome Sergio Busquets dictating the tempo, it may be that Liverpool deploy tactics more in keeping with Klopp’s early months at the club, centred on containing and countering.
Messi has the ability to end the tie in Barcelona, before the Kop has the chance to respond. His ability to drift around the pitch often makes attempts at man-marking him futile.
