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All the attention will shift to the Anfield on Tuesday night as Barcelona travel to Liverpool for the second leg of their Champions League semifinal.
Even though the scoreline reads 3-0 in favour of Barcelona, many believe Liverpool are still in the fight and can make a comeback in the crucial second leg.
After all, Liverpool created enough opportunities in the first leg but they fluffed their chances to score that elusive away goal. They should also consider themselves lucky as Barcelona could have increased their tally further had Ousmane Dembele converted his chance towards the end of the first leg.
Without Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino for the second leg, it's a mountain to climb for the Liverpool side looking to overturn the deficit and qualify for the final. And with Lionel Messi leading the charge for Barca, you can't bet against them, can you?
With the stage set for the big game, here are 3 factors that suggest Barcelona will pile the misery on Liverpool in the second leg:
#3 Messi's record against English teams
Some question his ability to perform during a cold rainy night at Stoke but his record against the Premier League teams in the UCL say otherwise. Surprisingly, only Sergio Aguero and Eden Hazard have scored more goals than Messi against the top six sides in England since 2010/11. And this isn't a bad record for a player who has never played in the Premier League.
Liverpool need to be wary of the threat posed by the Argentinian. To overcome a 3-0 deficit, they will certainly leave a lot of space for Messi to exploit and it only needs a moment of magic from the great man to finish the tie off.
Messi has never scored at Anfield and he would want to break this record as soon as possible.
Being the captain for Barcelona has also added responsibility on Messi's shoulders and he has shown this season how great a captain he can be and silenced all those who questioned his leadership qualities.
Even in the first leg against Liverpool he was seen motivating his players before the kick-off and instructing them what they needed to do during the game.
Messi looks in impeccable form, having scored 12 times in just 9 UCL games this season. The trophy that he and the team really want is the UCL and they will be highly motivated to qualify for the final.
#2 The Ex-Liverpool stars would like to prove a point back at Anfield
Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho were both fan favorites during their time in Liverpool but they would now really want to show the Kop what they are truly missing and dump their former club out of the UCL.
Both these players have not been at their best this season but what a way to silence all the doubters with a great performance against one of the best sides in the world right now. They have the experience of playing at Anfield and they can surely be focal points in tonight's match.
Both these players will receive a hostile reception from the Anfield crowd. Suarez, in particular, will not be forgiven for his goal celebration in the first leg. But they are both exceptional professionals and would give their every bit to see Barca qualify for the final, to be held in Madrid on June 1.
#1 Malcolm, the X-factor
Malcolm has surely not played as much as he hoped but he has been instrumental for Barca in the crunch moments. He came off the bench and scored at San Siro against Inter Milan and also scored the crucial goal against Barca's eternal rivals, Madrid, in the first leg of the Copa Del Rey semi-final.
And with Ousmane Dembele injured, Barca requires someone who has the pace to drag Liverpool's defence and exploit their tired legs in the second half.
Not to forget, Liverpool didn't have the luxury to rest players at the weekend against Newcastle as they are still alive in the title race against Manchester City with Wolves coming up against them on the last day the Premier League.
With Liverpool pushing hard to overturn the first leg deficit, Malcolm and his great understanding with Messi can really prove to be a game-changer. Malcolm, if given a chance, would really love to show what he is capable of in a big match like this.
