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BARCELONA — Lionel Messi scored his 600th goal for Barcelona to leave Liverpool on the brink of crashing out of the Champions League football semi-finals.
The Argentina star scored a stunning free-kick to add to an early tap-in after Luis Suarez scored against his former club in the first leg tie which Barcelona won 3-0 at the Nou Camp on Wednesday night.
“At these moments he’s unstoppable,” said Kop boss Jurgen Klopp.
“What can I say?
Liverpool head home with a three-goal deficit but, at times, they were in this game.
James Milner wasted a great chance at 1-0 before Roberto Firmino had a shot cleared off the line moments after Messi’s free-kick.
Mo Salah the hit the post as the Reds missed out on a vital away goal.
“We controlled the ball so well in the second half,” said Klopp.
“Being 1-0 down is already hard but not a big problem, usually. At half-time we analysed the half and told the boys what we could do better.”
Klopp admits it will not be easy to turn the tie around on Tuesday at Anfield.
“I’m not sure if we deserved more than we got. They scored three and we didn’t,” added Klopp.
“We didn’t score a goal and that makes our life not easy.
“But I told my players I am proud of them.
“Football is like this. It’s about scoring goals, and they scored three and we scored none.
“Our performance was really good, the boys played a super game. But against Barcelona just a few opportunities can be enough (for them).
“I was happy with the performance, not too happy with the result. That’s football. It was a hard result but we have to accept it.”
And Liverpool have no time to fret over their chastening Champions League defeat at the hands of Barcelona as they scramble to prevent their season from fizzling out without any silverware to show for it.
After the hammer blow of two late Messi goals at the Camp Nou, which gave Barcelona a 3-0 win in the first leg of the semi-final, Klopp’s men must raise themselves for the challenge of Newcastle in the English Premier League tomorrow.— AFP
Online Reporter