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We have arrived at the business end of the Champions League and a titanic clash awaits at the Camp Nou tonight. Liverpool seek their first silverware under Jurgen Klopp, whereas Barcelona are chasing their third treble.
Both sides faced failures of varying magnitudes last season in the Champions League, with AS Roma making a shock comeback against the Blaugrana in the quarter-finals, while Liverpool tasted a cruel defeat in the final due to individual mistakes from Loris Karius.
FC Barcelona are tipped as the favorites to capture the European title this season but face a stiff challenge against the menacing Reds. Klopp has upgraded his squad substantially from last season, and the Merseysiders have accumulated 91 points from 36 Premier League games this term.
Camp Nou and Anfield will host the first and second legs of the semi-finals respectively. Given the European heritage these stadiums possess, the football followers around the world cannot demand a better event.
Remembering both teams, let us look at the three tussles between the opposing players which could incline the contest on either side.
#3 Mohamed Salah vs Jordi Alba
Mohamed Salah has racked up astonishing numbers for Liverpool since joining them in 2017, scoring 69 goals in 100 appearances for the Reds.
The Egyptian has endured an intermittent scoring run this season, but his impact on opposing backlines never faded. Salah is encompassed constantly by the opposite full-backs, center-backs, and midfielders, creating extra space for his fellow attackers to exploit.
Barca, according to their philosophy, play a different brand of football, but that doesn't mean Salah will be allowed free territory to wreak havoc.
Jordi Alba, Barca's left-back will keep close tabs on the former Roma star. The 30-year-old's thrust is the prime outlet of Barcelona's offense from their left side. However, given Salah's propensity to make runs behind the defense, Ernesto Valverde could be compelled to deploy Alba in a deeper position than usual with limited projection towards the final third.
Klopp might try and locate Salah higher up the pitch to restrain Alba's attacking surges because Ernesto Valverde prefers pragmatism over an expansive brand of football. The Barca manager's inclination towards defensive solidity could shackle Alba.
#2 Lionel Messi vs Virgil van Dijk/Andrew Robertson
Lionel Messi is in a sublime run of form this season, scoring 46 and creating 18 goals. The Argentine looks in the mood to win the Champions League this season, influencing the games on his own.
The Liverpool defence comprising of Virgil van Dijk and Andrew Roberson has been rock-solid this season. The combination of van Dijk's colossal defending and Robertson's attacking shifts have been prime ingredients of Liverpool's success.
Messi makes world-class defenders look like amateurs, and the Reds' shielding duo face an arduous task of containing him. Virgil van Dijk was asked about the prospect of facing the Argentine magician and he responded by saying:
“I think he is the best player in the world. But you see how we play and how we defend. We don’t defend one v one, we defend all together and we attack all together as well so we will see. We will be ready."
The onus of patrolling Barca's skipper lies significantly on the Robertson-VVD partnership. Van Dijk will require ample support from his left-sided partner. Keeping tabs on the five-time Balon d'Or winner is a litmus test for the Scottish left-back's defensive discipline.
Facing Messi is the biggest challenge for Robertson in his Liverpool career so far, and it presents an opportunity to display his positioning awareness and assert his status as one of the world's best full-backs.
#1 Sergio Busquets vs Fabinho/Naby Keita
Notwithstanding the quantum of attacking players at disposal, the midfield dynamo sets the margins of winning or losing.
Sergio Busquets is the focal point of Barca's attacking transition, receiving the ball from the defense and spraying the passes forward. Messi's excellence often transcends the vital contributions of the Catalan midfielder. He is an intelligent reader of the game and contributes defensively too, making crucial interceptions and tackles to disrupt the opposition's move.
The success of Liverpool in this tie hinges on their extent of nullifying Busquets' incision by closing down his passing lanes.
Jurgen Klopp looks set to utilise Fabinho in the midfield as a number six. The Brazilian stabilises the Liverpool team defensively due to his physical presence.
The former Monaco midfielder endured a slow start to his Liverpool career, taking time integrating into Klopp's system. His recent thrust in the middle has solidified the team and provided an equilibrium between attacking and defensive phases.
Naby Keita could be Fab's partner in a three-man midfield, playing as a left-sided number eight due to his lively style of play. The Guinean's nagging pressure and the Brazilian's robustness are the essentials in disrupting Sergio's fluency.
It will be interesting to see the tactically equipped midfield line Liverpool manager starts to curb Busquets' influence from the center of the park.
