Liverpool’s Champions League hopes is look like an impossible task after magical Lionel Messi double saw Barcelona claim a convincing first leg semi-final 3-0 win in the Camp Nou, with the Reds missing plenty of chances in the process.
With the remarkable result at Camp Nou, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side will be banking on a miracle to reach their second Champions League final in the return leg at Anfield.
Despite a bright start from Jurgen Klopp’s side, the hosts took the lead in the 25th minute when Jordi Alba’s pinpoint low cross was expertly converted by Luis Suarez at the near post to claim his first Champions League goal of the season.
Liverpool came out of the traps well in the second half, with James Milner and Mohamed Salah forcing Marc-Andre ter Stegen into excellent saves.
But it was the Spanish champions who grabbed the crucial second goal against the run of play, as Suarez’s shot cannoned off the crossbar, before Lionel Messi followed up with a tap-in.
Messi completed the scoring with a stunning 30-yard free kick ten minutes before full time.
Anthony Nlebem
