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Liverpool are performing brilliantly in the Premier League this season, with the Reds currently being second in the table, just one point behind leaders Manchester City.
The Merseysiders have also been in great form in the Champions League and booked their place in the semi-finals of the competition for the second consecutive season after beating FC Porto 6-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals of the tournament.
They will now face the favorites, Barcelona, in the semi-finals of Europe's elite competition. The Catalan giants are also in high-spirts after securing La Liga title by defeating Levante 1-0 last weekend.
With the clubs set to collide in the first leg of their semi-final tie at the Camp Nou tonight, here are three Barcelona players Liverpool wished they had in their squad.
#3 Arthur Melo
Arthur Melo joined Barcelona for £35 million from Gremio at the start of the current season, and the Brazilian has done a decent job so far for the Blaugrana.
The 22-year-old is a versatile player, who is capable of playing anywhere across the midfield line. His attributes make him most effective while playing as a central midfielder, although he also has the skills to operate as an attacking midfielder or a defensive midfielder.
This season, he has completed 1154 passes in the Spanish top division, with a passing accuracy rate of 93.4 percent. He has also impressed with the defensive side of his game and has won 1.5 tackles per game in the Champions League this season. He would have added a different dimension to Liverpool's midfield, which has looked devoid of ideas at times this season.
#2 Gerard Pique
Liverpool's defence have improved significantly since the arrival of Virgil van Dijk for £75 million from Southampton in the January transfer window of 2018. The Reds have conceded just 20 goals in 36 Premier League games this season, the best defensive record in the English top division.
Despite the progress the Reds' have made in their defensive department, there are still some question marks on the Dutchman's defensive partners. Joe Gomez is too prone to injuries, and Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip are too susceptible to making individual errors.
Barcelona's Gerard Pique is among the best centre-backs in the world at the moment and is a perfect player that Liverpool would have wished to deploy alongside Van Dijk.
The Spanish international has started in 33 games for the Blaugrana this season and has helped his team keep 15 clean sheets. Pique has completed 2044 passes in La Liga this season with an impressive passing accuracy of 89.2 percent. He has also made 141 clearances and has won 39 of his 52 attempted tackles..
#1 Lionel Messi
Despite having one of the best attacking trios in European football, Liverpool still would have loved to have Lionel Messi in their squad.
The Argentine has been in stellar form this season and is currently leading the race for the European Golden Shoe. He has registered 34 goals and 13 assists in 32 La Liga games so far, along with 10 goals in the Champions League.
The 31-year-old helped the Blaugrana to defend their La Liga title with three games still to go, whilst also guiding the Catalan club to the final of the Copa del Rey. He will now be looking forward to sending Barcelona to the Champions League final for the first time in four years.
