Liverpool vs Barcelona Semi Final

Liverpool vs Barcelona Semi Final : If Liverpool is to overcome its 3-0 deficit against Barcelona in the Champions League semifinals, it will have to do it without injured superstar Mohamed Salah, who was officially ruled out of the match on Monday. Salah was stretchered off Saturday in Liverpool's 3-2 win over Newcastle with a head injury. The Egyptian star went for a ball in the box and had his head collide with Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka's thigh before going to the ground and suffering a nasty spill. 

Liverpool host Barcelona tomorrow in the second leg of their Champions League semifinal. The Reds have it all to do after losing the first leg in Barcelona’s Nou Camp stadium, 3-0. But it is only halftime in the tie and Liverpool still have a chance. Here are five things they need to beat Barcelona and advance to the Champions League final.

A fast start

European nights are always special at Anfield and a quick start, ideally with an early goal or two, will really get the crowd going. Jurgen Klopp is a master in motivating his teams and will make sure his first 11 is revved up and raring to go when the whistle blows.

On their run to the final last season, Liverpool blew away Manchester City in the quarterfinal first leg, scoring three times in the first 31 minutes. In the semifinal first leg, they beat Roma 5-2, with two first half goals from Mohamed Salah. In last week’s first leg against Barcelona, Liverpool had the Spanish champions rattled for large sections of the match – a fast start tomorrow could do the same.

Barcelona hold a sizeable advantage as they travel to Anfield looking for a first two-legged victory against Liverpool, which would earn a first UEFA Champions League final appearance since 2015. Catch all the action live on SuperSport and streaminng through DStv Now.

Former Liverpool striker Luis Suárez gave Barcelona a first-half lead in the first leg at the Camp Nou, before Lionel Messi struck twice in the final 15 minutes – his first goals against Liverpool – to create a cushion to take to Merseyside. Barcelona have reason to be wary, however, having bowed out of last season's competition despite a first-leg victory by a three-goal margin.

Barcelona are in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals for the first time since winning their fifth European title four seasons ago, although they have won only two of their last five contests at this stage. Liverpool, meanwhile, have reached successive semi-finals but have it all to do against a team who have won their last two games at Anfield.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

This is the teams' tenth fixture, six of the previous nine having come in a six-year period between 2001 and 2007.

Each side has now recorded three wins with Barcelona scoring nine goals to Liverpool's six – although the English club have won all three two-legged contests on aggregate.

Liverpool were 2-1 winners over the two games in the clubs' first tie, in the 1975/76 UEFA Cup semi-finals. John Toshack scored the only goal of the first leg at the Camp Nou, and Phil Thompson's 51st-minute goal at Anfield proved enough for progress despite Carles Rexach levelling on the night a minute later. The Reds went on to win the trophy, defeating Club Brugge in the final.

Barcelona go to Liverpool on Tuesday night with one foot in the Champions League final, taking a 3-0 advantage to Anfield for the second leg of their semi-final tie.

The Spanish La Liga champions were inspired by Lionel Messi at the Camp Nou a week ago, blasting past the English Premier League title contenders.

Read our full match report from the first leg here.

Ex-Reds forward Luis Suarez haunted his former club with the opening goal 26 minutes into a competitive first half.

The Uruguayan turned Jordi Alba’s cross past Alisson to break the deadlock in Catalonia.

Then it was the Messi show.

Another Suarez effort came back off the crossbar, with the Argentinian maestro on hand to bundle in for number two.

Messi excelled himself less than ten minutes later, whizzing a gorgeous free kick into the top left-hand corner to put his side in total command.