5 Players who single-handedly managed to silence Barcelona

Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi

#3 Divock Origi (Liverpool)

Liverpool v Barcelona - UEFA Champions League Semi-Final: Second Leg
Liverpool v Barcelona - UEFA Champions League Semi-Final: Second Leg

Barcelona started to stutter midway through the 2010s due to poor performances, several changes in coaches, and backroom troubles. As a result, by the time they faced Liverpool in the 2018/19 UEFA Champions League semi-final, their aura of invincibility had all but disappeared. A horrible collapse against AS Roma a year earlier turned out to be the turning point, with the Spanish giants throwing away a three-goal cushion to crash out of the competition.

Nevertheless, a Lionel Messi-led Barcelona thrashed Liverpool 3-0 in the first leg of the 2018/19 semi-finals, with the Argentinian himself scoring twice. The English side was not discouraged, however, with their opponents' collapse the previous year still fresh in mind.

It took Divock Origi just seven minutes into the second leg to cut Liverpool's deficit by one goal. Midfielder Giorginio Wijnaldum scored twice in the second half to bring the tie level on aggregate.

With time running out for both sides to find a winner, Origi once again turned up in Barcelona's box and hit an unstoppable strike from a cleverly-worked corner to put the Reds up on aggregate. The travelling support collectively held their heads in their hands while going through a horrifying sensation of Deja Vu.

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Edited by Zaid Khan