Lionel Messi on Wednesday left Liverpool needing a miracle to reach their second UEFA Champions League final in as many years after his brace helped Barcelona win a pulsating semi-final first leg 3-0.
Barca have one foot in next month’s final ahead of the second leg at Anfield on Tuesday next week after former Reds striker Luis Suarez gave Barca the lead during a breathless opening 45 minutes before Messi struck twice late on, the second a stunning free-kick and his 600th Barca goal.
Juergen Klopp could only smile after Messi’s curling shot nestled in the top corner, but this result was harsh on his side. They matched Barcelona in the first half, dominated them early in the second and could still have left with an away goal after Messi’s deadly double, only for Mohamed Salah to hit the post.
Photo: AFP
However, Messi and Suarez did what they have done all season, their tallies now at 47 and 27 goals respectively in all competitions.
It had been a breathtaking contest befitting two of Europe’s most exhilarating teams.
The first half was electric, a reel of chances, breaks and blocks, while the second was tense, a tactical battle in which Barca dared Liverpool to overexert.
The comeback will be even tougher for Liverpool given that Barcelona, with La Liga wrapped up, will surely rest a host of players against RC Celta de Vigo this weekend while Liverpool, a point behind Premier League leaders Manchester City, will have to be at full throttle again away at Newcastle United tomorrow.
Messi was already fresh, after playing just more than half the La Liga minutes he could have last month, and he looked sharp early on, weaving through the center, while for Liverpool the sensational Sadio Mane raced down the left.
The attacks were scintillating, but the defending was good too. Andy Robertson scrambled across to block Messi’s finish from six yards and moments later it was Sergi Roberto preventing Mane from racing clear.
Messi wanted a penalty when the ball jumped up on Joel Matip and Naby Keita went off injured in the 25th minute, replaced by Jordan Henderson.
A minute later came the goal. Arturo Vidal sprayed the ball left to Philippe Coutinho, who cushioned back for Jordi Alba. Alba shaped to cross, but instead curved a perfectly weighted pass to the near post, where Suarez nipped in.
Liverpool came again. Mane scampered in behind then flicked the ball around Sergio Busquets. He should have scored too, Henderson’s cross finding him free from eight yards, but the shot flew over.
Barca took control just as Suarez began to lose it, irked by James Milner barging Messi into the hoardings after the Argentine had danced past Robertson.
However, Liverpool were re-energized at the start of the second half. Marc-Andre ter Stegen pushed away shots from Milner and Mohamed Salah, then held a Milner drive.
Then Messi took the wind out of Liverpool’s sails, striking twice in seven minutes. His own run started the first, setting Sergi free to square to Suarez. Off balance, Suarez could only volley against the crossbar, but the ball came back for Messi, who chested and finished into an open net.
Two was hard on Liverpool, but Messi was not done. The free-kick was central, 30 yards out, and he whipped it over the wall and into the top corner.
Barca were delirious, but Liverpool almost grabbed an away goal when a clearance on the line fell kindly for Salah, who hammered against the post and left Liverpool with little hope of making the Madrid final.
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
Arne Slot has denied that Darwin Nunez was dropped from Liverpool’s win against West Ham because of a training-ground row with a member of his coaching staff. The Liverpool head coach on Sunday last week said that Nunez was absent from the 2-1 victory at Anfield, having felt unwell during training the day before, although the striker sat behind the substitutes throughout the game. Speculation has been rife that the Uruguay international, whom Slot criticized for his work rate against Wolves and Aston Villa in February, was left out for disciplinary reasons. Asked on Friday to clarify the situation, Slot said: “He
RSS