Liverpool vs Barcelona
Barcelona are just 90 minutes away from reaching their first Champions League final in four years. The Spanish champions hold a commanding 3-0 lead over Liverpool after a somewhat fortunate first-leg win at the Camp Nou.
Liverpool also have a host of injury concerns to deal with heading into the second leg at Anfield, which does not bode well for their chances of staging a miraculous comeback.
But while most Champions League 2019 predictions likely have Barca going through, they of all teams must know that even a three-goal first-leg lead is not entirely safe and shouldn’t be taken for granted.
Talking Points
Liverpool’s major injury concerns
Liverpool are losing key players at exactly the wrong time in their season. First, striker Roberto Firmino picked up a muscle injury which saw him start the first leg against Barcelona on the bench. Then, midfielder Naby Keita went down with a groin injury during the first leg and had to be subbed off.
And now, Liverpool’s superstar forward Mohamed Salah suffered a head injury which saw him stretchered off in their dramatic 3-2 win over Newcastle over the weekend.
While manager Jurgen Klopp has not yet completely ruled Salah out of the second leg, he did come out with big Champions League 2019 news that that Firmino will indeed miss out, which is a huge blow for the Reds. And based on how serious Salah’s injury looked, it would be quite a surprise if he does suit up against Barca.
Liverpool are so reliant on Firmino, Salah, and Sadio Mane to carry their attack. Those three have combined for 70 of the team’s 105 goals in the Premier League and Champions League combined, along with 19 assists.
With all due respect to the likes of Daniel Sturridge, Divock Origi, and Xherdan Shaqiri, but they are a significant step down from Firmino and Salah. As if Liverpool’s chances of staging a comeback against Barcelona weren’t hard enough, doing so without two of their top three forwards will make that task even more daunting.
Barcelona must take care of business
After three consecutive years of quarter-final failure, Barcelona are now on the cusp of returning to the Champions League final. And clearly, it would be a disaster if they somehow conspire not to make it to Madrid.
For one, they have a comfortable 3-0 lead to protect at Anfield against what could be a significantly shorthanded Liverpool side in the second leg.
And since they’ve already clinched another La Liga title, they had the luxury of resting basically their entire first-choice side in their weekend match against Celta Vigo, which they lost 2-0.
That means they should be fresh and well-rested for their trip to Anfield, where they likely won’t have to exert too much effort in terms of attacking.
Of course, Barca must also be wary of being too complacent. They famously had a 4-1 first-leg lead against Roma in last year’s quarter-final and were subsequently knocked out on away goals after a 3-0 second-leg defeat. But surely, they will have learned their lesson after such an embarrassing exit.
History
Anfield has been an absolute fortress for Liverpool in Europe. The Reds have never lost in 10 Champions League semi-final home matches (eight wins, two draws), and have conceded just four goals.
Moreover, Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 21 European home matches (15 wins, six draws), with their last loss coming back in 2014.
As for Barcelona, they have had a lovely time against English opposition in Europe. They have won 12 of their last 16 European games against English clubs, with only a solitary defeat.
They have also won five of their last seven away games against English clubs (one draw, one loss), which includes wins at Tottenham and at Manchester United in this year’s competition.
Betting Tip
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Liverpool vs Barcelona | Under 3.00 Goals @ 1.89 |
| May 08, 03:00 (GMT+8) |
Liverpool will be up against it in the second leg. They need at least three goals just to force extra-time and four to win the tie. And that’s while keeping Barcelona goalless, which will be a tough task in its own right. Obviously, scoring goals will be much tougher without Firmino and Salah.
Meanwhile, Barca likely won’t go out searching for goals at Anfield unless they really need to. That’s why SBOBET tips this game to be a low-scoring second leg, with the total going under 3.0 goals.
The draw, which is currently priced at 3.40, is also an intriguing bet since Liverpool likely won’t give up their unbeaten run at home without a fight.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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 = €20 (Highly confident) |
= €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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