Last season, it was Real Madrid that stopped Liverpool FC just short of yet another piece of European silverware. This term, it might be the other half of the El Clasico rivalry, FC Barcelona, who do them in. Liverpool are the only team that has advanced to the UEFA Champions League semifinals in both this tournament and last year’s but it’s the Catalan club that is favored to hoist the old big ears trophy when all is said and done.
Given how Barca has turned their Catalonian home into an absolute fortress this term, it’s easy to see why most prognosticators are backing the Blaugrana to best the Merseyside club tomorrow night.
Barcelona have lost just one game at Camp Nou this year. That came back in November against Real Betis (4-3) when the visitors potted the winner after Barca was down to ten men. Between La Liga and the Champions League, Lionel Messi and company have taken the full three points from 18 of 23 games.
While Liverpool has only lost one away match in EPL play, they have lost all three in the UCL group stage. They are not traveling well in Europe this year and getting Barca at -115 to win is a solid value according to Paruk from SBD.
Last season, Messi made a promise to bring home the UCL trophy to the Blaugranes. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has interpreted that pledge to be “a threat.”
“Messi said at the start of the season that they wanted to bring back this cup,” the Reds boss said at a news conference today.
“That sounded already like a threat to me! But now we are here, we want to go to the final as well.”
“We won’t be perfect tomorrow, we will make mistakes, we will suffer, 100 percent. It will be so difficult, but I couldn’t be more excited to play and I hope I can transport my players so they feel the same. It is not only about Messi, but it is about Messi of course.”
“Can we concentrate on Messi? We should, in certain moments, but then they have 10 world-class players around who can decide the game.”
“They have the highest quality team, they are already Spanish champions. But we saw the game against Real Sociedad and [Sociedad] did really well. Levante did really well a couple of days ago.”
“Barcelona, the better the opponent, the better the competition, the higher the stakes, the more they are in. They are champions of Spain, so now they can focus completely on the Champions League. We are really looking forward to it, but it will be tough.”
For Liverpool, coming away with a draw tonight would have to feel like a major victory. Coming away with a win, if it happens, would feel nothing short of euphoric.
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.