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Barcelona stretched their unbeaten streak at home in Europe to 32 straight matches, following their thumping 3-0 win over Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final tie.
Despite being not at their best, Barcelona came out on top, courtesy of a brilliant display from their talisman Lionel Messi.
Barcelona broke the deadlock in the 26th minute thorough Suárez, who made no mistake in putting the ball at the back of the net from a beautifully timed Jordi Alba pass.
Barcelona captain Messi scored the all-important second goal in the 75th minute and took the wind away from Liverpool’s sail.
The Argentine then added Barcelona's third in the 82nd minute from a sensational free-kick. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner curled the ball into the top corner with expertise to put the final nail in Liverpool’s coffin.
Liverpool had several chances to score the much important away goal(s) but some wasteful finishing and Marc-André ter Stegen's heroics meant Barcelona managed to keep a clean sheet.
With all that in mind, here is a look at five hits and flops from a memorable evening at the Camp Nou
#5 Hit: Gerard Piqué:
Barcelona rode their luck in the defensive third and struggled at times to pose their authority but they should thank Gerard Piqué for helping them keep a clean sheet.
The 32-year-old was at the pick of his prowess as he shaked off several attempts from Liverpool’s attackers. Piqué was on hand to make eight clearances, three tackles and two interceptions. The way he organized the defensive line for Barcelona and scrapped off several loose balls was truly admirable.
Pique bossed the defense throughout the course of 90 minutes and his distribution from the back helped Barcelona to build attacks from the back.
#4 Flop: Mohamed Salah:
While Barcelona were clinical in taking their chances, Liverpool were sloppy. Mohamed Salah could be blamed for not making it count when the Reds had the opportunity to make a dent in Barcelona’s defence.
The Egyptian forward started the game on a positive note and completed four take-ons within the first 15 minutes of the game. But as the match progressed, Salah faded away. The duo of Jordi Alba and Clement Lenglet suffocated Salah as the prolific attacker failed to provide Liverpool with the much-important away goal.
Salah forced Ter Stegen into a smart stop in the second half but missed an open goal from a close range which could turn out to be the deciding moment in the outcome of the tie.
On a night defined by the brilliance in the final third, Salah looked a shadow of himself at the Camp Nou.
#3 Hit: Marc-André ter Stegen
The German international had a sensational game as he pulled off as many as five saves throughout the 90 minutes and helped Barcelona not to concede an away goal.
Ter Stegen didn’t have to make a single save in the first half but he was called into action in the early parts of the second half. The Barcelona number 1 tipped away James Milner’s curling effort and then went on to make another save off Salah’s low strike.
The goalkeeper was quick off his lines and made several vital stops throughout the game. He remained calm and composed with the ball even after a very high and intense pressing from Jürgen Klopp’s men. He kept the Reds at bay and ensured Barcelona kept a clean sheet.
His performance last night was similar to the one against Bayern Muncih at the Allianz Arena back in 2015.
#2 Flop: Virgil van Dijk
Many regard him as the best defender in the world, but Virgil van Dijk disappointed the Liverpool faithful as he failed to minimize Messi’s threats last night.
The newly crowned PFA Player of the Year was caught on his heels for Suarez’s opener in the first half. Although van Dijk looked comfortable in defending in one-on-one situations against Messi, the Dutchman went to sleep during Barcelona's second goal.
The monstrous centre-back will be disappointed with his performance as he lost his individual battle against Messi, and at the same time, failed collectively to shut down Barcelona..
Although Van Dijk was very vocal and helped to settle down the nerves with his calm and composed nature, he will go down as a flop with respect to the standards he has set for himself in recent times.
#1 Hit: Lionel Messi
We have run out of adjectives a long time ago to describe Messi’s greatness. The Argentine was at his brutal best as he single-handedly destroyed Liverpool.
With his brace against the Reds, Messi has now scored as many as 26 goals against English clubs in the Champions League. Messi’s second goal, which happened to be an inch-perfect free-kick, was a pure example of his class.
Messi dribbled past several Liverpool players for fun and looked determined to make a difference from the start. He also played a key role in providing his defenders a breather in such a demanding game as he looked to take on Liverpool's defense on his own.
Messi’s outrageous free-kick was also his 600th goal for Barcelona. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner once again made the difference and pulled off a masterclass in the biggest of stage.
