Saturday’s heart-stopping win over Newcastle ensures that Liverpool will take their Premier League title challenge to the final day of the season, but first, they are tasked with resuscitating a Champions League campaign that had been gathering real momentum until last week. Barcelona were not nearly as dominant as the first leg score of 3-0 would indicate, but a team of their class and cold-bloodedness is impossible not to admire. This tactical analysis will preview the statistics ahead of an enthralling tie between two European giants. Liverpool played well enough at Camp Nou to suggest that they are capable of causing problems for this Barcelona side, yet the absence of an away goal leaves them only one piece of brilliance from Lionel Messi or co from the tie being well and truly killed off. Also, the injury-enforced absences of Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino further complicate an already arduous task. Our tactical analysis crunches the statistics and trawls through history to see if there are any straws of hope to which Liverpool can clutch ahead of tonight’s semi-final second leg. Last six games in all competitions Liverpool: W5, D0, L1, F16, A6 Barcelona: W5, D0, L1, F11, A3 Last week’s defeat at Camp Nou was Liverpool’s first in any competition since Wolves knocked them out of the FA Cup in the first week of January, while Barcelona became the first team to stop them from winning since Everton at the beginning of March. The Reds have conceded as many goals (five) in their last two matches, though, as they did in their previous nine. Also, having not conceded multiple goals in a match since the 4-2 win over Burnley two months ago, it happened twice in four days over the last week. Having already wrapped up the La Liga title, Barcelona took the understandable luxury of changing their entire team from the first leg for Saturday’s meaningless La Liga trip to Celta Vigo, who took advantage to win 2-0. It was Barca’s first defeat since being beaten in the far from illustrious Supercopa de Catalunya by Girona in early March. Celta did manage to score more goals that day, however, than Barcelona’s previous eight opponents combined, with Ernesto Valverde’s side conceding just once in that sequence before the trip to northwest Spain. Last Anfield meeting Liverpool 0-1 Barcelona, 6 March 2007 This will be Barcelona’s first visit to Anfield in more than 12 years, having last been on Merseyside in the second leg of a last 16 clash with the mission of overturning a 2-1 deficit from Camp Nou. Rafael Benítez was proving to be a master of two-legged European ties for Liverpool, although the Reds were reeling from a last-gasp defeat at home to Manchester United the previous weekend. Benítez went with the same line-up as the first leg and only Victor Valdés’ brilliance and last-ditch defending prevented the home side from extending their advantage in the first half. The likes of Messi and Ronaldinho were cutting subdued figures on the night, but it was one of Barcelona’s substitutes who made this tie very interesting. With 15 minutes remaining, Eidur Gudjohnsen rounded Pepe Reina and finished, leaving the visitors needing one more goal to complete the turnaround. It was a nervy finish for Liverpool, who lost on the night but prevailed thanks to the away goals rule and were the better team over the two legs. Just as had happened to the Reds a year previously, Barcelona’s defence of their Champions League crown ended at the last 16 stage. Three-goal second leg comebacks in the Champions League In the 27-year history of the UEFA Champions League, only four teams have overturned a first-leg deficit of three goals or more in a knockout tie. As it happens, two of those four occurrences involved Barcelona, either as instigators or victims. Liverpool twice produced three-goal second-half performances when they were required during their triumphant 2004/05 Champions League campaign, against Olympiakos in the group stage and AC Milan in the final. Tonight, they will hope to take encouragement from four teams who retrieved similarly perilous situations to the one in which they currently find themselves. FC Copenhagen v Linfield, 1993/94 first round The Northern Irish minnows of Linfield threatened to pull off a massive shock in the opening round of the competition’s second season when thrashing Denmark’s FC Copenhagen 3-0 at Windsor Park in Belfast, only to have that lead wiped out in the return leg. Devastatingly for Linfield, the third goal didn’t come until the 90th minute and they had nothing more to give in extra time, with the home side making it 4-0 to cap an astonishing turnaround. Deportivo la Coruña v AC Milan, 2003/04 quarter-finals Deportivo took an early lead at the San Siro in the first leg but were blown away by an outstanding Milan team, who scored four times in an eight-minute period either side of the interval to seize firm control of the tie. Kaká was the conductor of the Milanese orchestra, scoring twice and running rings around the La Liga outfit. Surely it was asking too much of Deportivo to thwart the reigning European champions from there, but by half-time in the second leg, they were leading the tie on away goals, having scored three in the first half at the Riazor. Milan were shellshocked and, with 15 minutes remaining, Fran made it 4-0 on the night and 5-4 on aggregate to seal Deportivo’s passage to the last four. Barcelona v Paris Saint-Germain, 2016/17 last 16 PSG v Barcelona promised to be a compelling tie, but nobody could have expected the drama that would unfold across these two pristine cities. The French champions were in devastating form at the Parc des Princes, winning 4-0 on a night when Ángel di María scored twice. Even for a team as magnificent at Barcelona, coming back from there seemed too tall an order. They did pull it back to 3-0 by the 50th minute of the second leg, offering real hope that the improbable comeback was on, but an Edinson Cavani away goal just after the hour left Barca needing three more and the tie again seemed done. It remained 3-1 going into the 88th minute when two quickfire goals from Neymar, then of Barcelona, levelled the tie on aggregate. The home side still needed another and, amazingly, Sergi Roberto got it in the third minute of stoppage time. In 64 seasons of the European Cup and Champions League, this is the only instance of a team recovering from a four-goal first-leg deficit to advance. Barcelona v PSG in 2017 was the king of all European comebacks. Roma v Barcelona, 2017/18 quarter-finals A year later, the Catalan giants were on the wrong end of a European salvage operation. Barcelona appeared to be cruising after the first leg, taking a 4-1 lead to the Italian capital after Roma had scored two own goals at Camp Nou, although Edin Džeko’s away goal gave them slender hope. The Bosnian scored early in the second leg in Rome and Daniele de Rossi added a second just before the hour. Roma were one goal away from completing the turnaround and they scaled the mountain with just eight minutes remaining when Kostas Manolas drilled the ball past multiple Barcelona defenders to give Roma the edge on away goals. It was a performance that might give Liverpool hope tonight, but Roma were able to lean on the support barrier of an away goal. The Reds have no such safety net, unfortunately. If you love tactical analysis, then you’ll love the digital magazines from totalfootballanalysis.com – a guaranteed 100+ pages of pure tactical analysis covering topics from the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga and many, many more. Buy your copy of the April issue for just ₤4.99 here, or even better sign up for a ₤50 annual membership (12 monthly issues plus the annual review) right here.<doc-sep>Liverpool produced perhaps the greatest Anfield comeback in the club's European history by beating FC Barcelona 4-0 to reach the 2018-19 Champions League final. Trailing 3-0 from the opening encounter in Spain six days ago, the Reds’ hopes of overcoming the Spanish giants on aggregate were alive, yet slim, at kick-off. But Jürgen Klopp’s remarkable team achieved what many considered impossible courtesy of two goals apiece from Divock Origi and Georginio Wijnaldum on a scarcely believable night in L4. And so Liverpool will contest a second successive Champions League final, facing the winners of the other semi-final between Ajax and Tottenham Hotspur in Madrid on June 1. Team news Forced to reshuffle his pack in the absence of Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah, the manager made four changes in total: in came Joel Matip, James Milner, Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri. Barcelona were unchanged from the first leg at Camp Nou, with Philippe Coutinho and Luis Suarez back at Anfield to face their former team. First half There have been many frantic halves of football at Anfield through the years and the opening 45 minutes here could match most that have gone before, with its basketball-style nature and relentless pace establishing a war of attrition. The game wasn’t a minute old when Liverpool threatened for the first time, Sadio Mane’s delivery from the left helped on by Shaqiri and cleared at the back post before Jordan Henderson could pounce. But the Reds did not have to wait long to turn hope into opportunity. Only seven minutes, in fact, had elapsed when Mane seized on a slack pass and fed Henderson, whose force of will took him into the box and allowed a left-footed shot that was parried out by Marc-Andre ter Stegen and knocked in by Origi. It was the first real blow landed in a punishing contest, one played out against a cacophony of encouragement, intimidation and ambition. Mane’s claims for a penalty, having tumbled under pressure from Sergi Roberto on a scamper in from the left, were rejected and at the other end, Alisson Becker tipped over a Lionel Messi curler. The Liverpool goalkeeper produced an even better stop soon after, as a Barcelona breakaway sprung three in the Spanish champions’ luminous colours against two Reds defending the Kop. Coutinho ultimately swept Messi’s pass towards goal from the left side and Alisson met it with firm hands to both save the effort and ensure Suarez could not capitalise on a rebound. Ter Stegen was next called into action to block an Andy Robertson blast from the angle before the Reds left-back followed Henderson in shaking off a knock to continue. Barcelona’s efficient use of the ball was a repetitive warning amid the hosts’ constant pressing and it was the visitors who threatened twice in quick succession in first-half stoppage-time. Messi dragged a low shot narrowly wide and then picked out Jordi Alba’s sneak into the Liverpool box – but Alisson was off his line rapidly to repel the full-back’s attempt with a sprawl. Second half Robertson’s injury meant he did not return to the pitch for the second half – Wijnaldum replaced the Scot and Milner moved to left-back. Virgil van Dijk was close to doubling Liverpool’s lead on the night with a close-range flick from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s corner that Ter Stegen reacted brilliantly to thwart. Within seconds, Alisson was tested by Suarez, the Uruguayan breaking free in the right channel and rolling a low finish across goal that the No.13 clawed away. It was a pivotal turning point in the match and the tie – and perhaps, still, club history – because, soon, 122 seconds of action unfolded that will take a cherished place in Anfield folklore. Alexander-Arnold’s determination down the right reclaimed possession and the Scouser’s low cross reached the arriving Wijnaldum in the middle for a prod at goal that got through the grasp of Ter Stegen. Two minutes later, it was – incredibly – 3-0, this one coming via the opposite flank: Shaqiri lofted cross, Wijnaldum unstoppable header into the top corner, Anfield pandemonium. A more natural rhythm returned to the game once the chaos of the quickfire double eased and Barcelona steadily found a foothold, Alisson having to push away a Messi punt at the near post after a clever corner routine. But it was a sublime set-piece of Liverpool’s own that settled the tie in their favour – Alexander-Arnold’s quick thinking catching Barcelona unaware and teeing up Origi to hammer in the most priceless goal of the season. The Reds are in the Champions League final – again.<doc-sep>Liverpool will hope to maintain their record of having never lost both legs of a European Cup semi-final when Barcelona visit Anfield on Tuesday night. The Reds must overcome a 3-0 deficit in the second leg of the Champions League last-four tie following last week's result at Camp Nou. The club have hosted 18 European semi-finals in the past, winning 14, drawing three and losing just once. For more need-to-know pre-match facts and figures, courtesy of club statistician Ged Rea, read on... This is Liverpool's 19th European semi-final and their 11th in the major competition. They aim to reach their 14th European final and their ninth in the European Cup. The Reds have won three of their four European semi-finals against Spanish opposition. Their last home defeat in Europe came at the hands of Real Madrid back in October 2014. Jürgen Klopp's men have lost only two of their last 54 games at Anfield in the Premier League and cup competitions. Sadio Mane has scored at least once in every knockout tie from the group stages onwards since joining Liverpool - scoring nine goals in those 11 games. If selected, Virgil van Dijk would make his 150th appearance for an English club and also play his 50th career game in European competition. Klopp has not lost any of his 10 European knockout ties as Reds boss and has won 17 of 20 his managerial career. Liverpool have led at half-time in 25 games this season and gone on to win every one of them. In games on English soil, excluding finals, Barcelona have won 11 of 40 visits, losing 18 and drawing 11. The referee for this game is Turkey's Cuneyt Cakir. He has taken charge of Liverpool twice before - both of which were dramatic European nights at Anfield. In 2016, he was the man in the middle as Liverpool defeated Borussia Dortmund 4-3 in the Europa League. This season, meanwhile, Cakir oversaw the 3-2 victory over Paris Saint-Germain.<doc-sep>
Sadio Mane will help set a new club record if he finds the net in Liverpool's Champions League semi-final first leg at Barcelona on Wednesday night. The Senegalese forward has scored 24 times this season and another at Camp Nou would see him join Mohamed Salah in reaching the 25-goal threshold. It would be the first time ever that two Liverpool players have scored 25 or more goals in successive campaigns, following Salah (44) and Roberto Firmino (27) last term. Mane has scored at least once in every Champions League knockout tie from the group stages onwards since joining the Reds in 2016 - netting nine goals in 10 games. He also scored in last season's final in Kiev. For more need-to-know pre-match facts and figures, courtesy of club statistician Ged Rea, read on... In 18 away games in Spain, Liverpool have won seven, drawn five and lost six, scoring 18 and conceding 18. The Reds have beaten Barcelona in two European semi-finals (1976 and 2001) and gone on to lift the trophy each time. Jürgen Klopp has not lost any of his 10 European knockout ties as Liverpool boss. In 42 home games against English teams, Barcelona have lost only twice (both to Liverpool) and have won 28 and drawn 12. This is Liverpool's 19th European semi-final. Of the 10 times they have played the first leg away from home they have progressed eight times - only failing in the 1997 Cup Winners' Cup to Paris Saint-Germain and in the 2010 Europa League to Atletico Madrid. Liverpool at Camp Nou The Reds have won three of their four European semi-finals against Spanish opposition. Barcelona have only scored once in total in four home encounters with Liverpool. Firmino is the only player to have featured in all 38 of Klopp's European games in charge of the Reds. The Brazilian now has 16 European goals for Liverpool, with Salah on 15 and Mane on 14. Barcelona's Lionel Messi has scored 10 goals in eight Champions League appearances this season and is the leading scorer in the competition. The forward has netted 24 times in 32 matches against English clubs - twice as many as he has scored against any other country's representatives. Messi has been on the losing side in only one of 31 knockout matches at Camp Nou - against Liverpool in 2007.