Something’s got to give Tuesday night when Liverpool FC hosts FC Barcelona in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal tie. The Reds are unbeaten in 13 consecutive UCL matches at Anfield while Barcelona have lost just once in their last ten UCL away games.
Barca come into this match riding high, having whipped Liverpool 3-0 in the first leg last week, and already taken care of business on the domestic front. Liverpool will play this game with one eye on the Premier League title race, and short-handed in the final third.
Mohamed Salah suffered a head injury and had to be stretchered off the pitch at St. James’ Park in Liverpool’s 3-2 win at Newcastle United last night. The good news is that he’s fine. The bad news is that he’s a out for this absolutely crucial clash in midweek.
“When we came in he was sitting in the dressing room watching the game on television,” said Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
“So he was then fine, but of course we have to wait. He got a proper knock, obviously, in that situation.”
Perhaps he can return to action for Liverpool’s final match of the Premier League season.
Whilst one member of Liverpool’s stellar attacking trio might be able to play, another, Roberto Firmino, is surely out. A muscular injury made unavailable for the Newcastle game on Saturday and Klopp said he’s unavailable for the UCL clash against the Blaugranas.
“He will not be ready for Tuesday and the rest we will see,” the German said in reference to the season finale against Wolverhampton Wanderers, one of two games that will truly make May 12 “Championship Sunday.”
Also, Naby Keita is out for the season and long term absentee Adam Lallana wasn’t named to the match day squad on the weekend, so it’s very unlikely that we see him here.
For the visitors, winger Ousmane Dembélé is done for what is left of the rest of the season after he re-aggravated his nagging hamstring injury. The former BVB star man had to be taken off after just six minutes on the pitch versus Celta Vigo.
Long term injury absentee Rafinha is also out, but other than that, they have no real injury concerns.
Liverpool at FC Barcelona UEFA Champions League Semi-final (Barca up 3-0 on Aggregate) FYIs
Kickoff- Tuesday May 7, Anfield 8pm
Starting XI Predictions- FC Barcelona Liverpool
Google Result Probability- FC Barcelona win 30%, Draw 26%, Liverpool win 44%
Odds via Lad Brokes- FC Barcelona 11/5, Draw 13/5, Liverpool win 11/10
Press conference video, quotes- go to this link
Prediction: Liverpool 2, Barcelona 1 (Barca goes through to the final on aggregate 4-2)
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets:Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, also contributes to Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to his.