Barcelona 3-0 Liverpool: Messi drives Barca towards the final
Leo scored twice after Suarez broke the deadlock in a tense clash at Camp Nou
It was close for a while and Liverpool were even on top, but Lionel Messi decided the game, as he tends to do.
FCB
3 ________________ 0
LIV
LINE UP
FC Barcelona
Ter Stegen, Sergi Roberto (Aleñá, 92'), Piqué, Lenglet, Alba, Busquets, Rakitic, Arturo Vidal, Messi, Coutinho (Semedo, 59') y Suárez (Dembélé, 92')
Liverpool
Alisson, Gómez, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Keita (Henderson, 23'), Milner (Origi, 84'), Salah, Wijnaldum (Firmino, 78') y Mané
Goles
1-0, Suárez (25'); 2-0, Messi (74'); 3-0, Messi (81')
Árbitro
Bjorn Kuipers (holandés). TA: Lenglet (38') / Fabinho (80')
Incidencias
Camp Nou, 98.299 espectadores
The Argentine No 10 drove the Catalans on with two late goals to help them put one foot in the Champions League final.
Luis Suarez sent Barcelona ahead in this semi-final first leg but Sadio Mane and James Milner missed big chances to turn the game around.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen also denied Mohamed Salah as Liverpool pinned Barcelona back, but Messi decided enough was enough.
The forward tucked home easily after Suarez’s effort bounced back off the crossbar and then curled a sensational free-kick into the top corner past Alisson for the third.
Liverpool have a huge task in the second leg now on Tuesday, with their dreams in both the Premier League and Champions League slipping away from them.
Messi’s second goal was his 600th for Barcelona in all competitions and may prove one of the most important.
