we dont need to score or even win... but would be nice to at least score one and force them to score 5...
More good insight from the BigSoccer Liverpool board, the choice at Right Back in particular could reveal Liverpool tactics. Also there is talk that Keita may miss the game and that VVD and Ox trained separately from the group: Let's start with the defense. VVD, Matip and Robertson to start. The RB position is between Gomez and TAA. I completely understand Gomez in the first leg. With the exception of Man City in the first leg last season, TAA has too often looked vulnerable in big games. He handled Sane very well in that game, but too often he has struggled. A lot of this is down to having Salah rather than Firmino or Mane in front of him. Nevertheless, defensively, Gomez is the better option. But Gomez does not have the same elan and attacking verve that TAA has. You don't rack up 11 or 12 assists by accident. In many respects this choice will define the team's entire focus and approach. If Gomez, then it's a counter attacking game, keeping home safe; if TAA, it's heavy-metal, high-pressing, looking to overwhelm them early and often. Again, if TAA and we do manage to claw back 2 or 3, I could see Gomez replacing him late on. Midfield is a starker choice with Keita out. Fabinho, Wijnaldum and Henderson. With Milner lurking on the bench, probably going to see some minutes. Up front is where things should be interesting. Mane starts. Now who alongside him? Sturridge and Origi? I think not, not Sturridge anyway. I think the forgotten man, Shaqiri, sees a start here with Origi.
Kompany shouldn’t have been on the pitch.. numerous fouls unpunished then commits a straight red offence but gets yellow .. ( David Silva was already on a yellow when he took someone else out - unpunished .. then committed a high block tackle and instantly kicked the ball away in disgust. ) The ref bottled so many decisions I hope he gets suspended
They were missing Firmino who’s vital to their ‘normal’ free flowing game . They’re not the same without him
All from a poster in their forum (Samarkand) not sure if I should tag or not - I'm quoting respectfully but don't want to wind anyone up, but I found it very interesting. There is also lots of talk that they may give minutes to their promising youngster Rhian Brewster, 19, which would be his first team debut from what I've read. Seems a bit crazy to get your debut in a huge game? But he may only have 4 healthy first team forwards and may prefer the kid to Sturridge, whom the kid is tipped to replace next season in the first team. Pretty good read about Klopp's presser: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/footbal...ys-rhian-brewster-nearly-sure-make-liverpool/
Gotta get all that negativity out prematch when its 3-nil enterting leg 2. Meanwhile these posters that are all over the first 3 pages of this thread and the meaningless Celta v Barca match thread were MIA last Wednesday ‘s match thread. Like completely MIA apart from a few hopeful ... err, I mean cautionary remarks about how Liverpool is still likely to make a comeback in the second leg. Not that we missed them....
The quality of Barcablaugranes varies alot, I think all the writers are volunteers, so it's much like this place but I think that this is a succinct summary of our lineup: Valverde really only has one question in his starting XI, and that’s whether to play Sergi Roberto, Nélson Semedo, or both. One of them will play right-back, while Roberto can also play in midfield. Philippe Coutinho could get the nod if one of Roberto or Semedo is not on the team sheet. Marc-André ter Stegen, Jordi Alba, Gerard Piqué, Clément Lenglet, Ivan Rakitic, Sergio Busquets, Lionel Messi, and Luis Suárez are automatic, and then I would probably add Arturo Vidal to that list, as well. Roberto did reasonably well in the first leg, but he struggled to keep up with Andy Robertson and Sadio Mané when he was deployed at right-back. With the introduction of Semedo and a switch to 4-4-2, Barcelona looked more solid. Given the 3-0 lead, Valverde may start this way and sacrifice Coutinho from the starting lineup. Dembélé was unlikely to start, but surely Valverde misses having him as a bench option due to his pace and skill. Malcom is the closest there is in the team, so perhaps he could get some time off the bench, but he’s not at the same level, and Valverde has shown reluctance to use him. There are shouts for Arthur or Carles Aleñá but they seem to me much more likely to feature off the bench. https://www.barcablaugranes.com/bar...l-preview-uefa-champions-league-semis-2nd-leg he goes on about our opponent: Klopp has a few more questions on his team sheet because of the absence of two of his star attackers and Keïta. Alisson, Robertson, Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip, Fabinho, James Milner, and Mané are likely to retain their places in the first leg. Georginio Wijnaldum might return to the starting XI as well but not in the same role. Joe Gomez at right-back was not the most successful gamble for Klopp, so we can expect Trent Alexander-Arnold this time in that position. Doubly so because Liverpool are trailing and Alexander-Arnold adds more attacking thrust. Xherdan Shaqiri and Divock Origi are the two attackers most likely to replace Salah and Firmino, although Daniel Sturridge is an option at centerforward. Klopp could retain his 4-3-3 shape with Origi in the center and Shaqiri on the opposite flank to Mané. There’s room for creativity for Klopp, who surprised us with his selection of Wijnaldum in the false 9 position in the first leg. There are some ideas out there but they can be hard to predict, perhaps putting in more midfielders or playing with Shaqiri as an attacking mid and not as a winger? What about playing 3-5-2 with Gomes in defense? Still, what’s expected most is that 4-3-3.
I didn't say anything about Valverde. But I could say that maybe in some fictional, imaginary world there is Barca without Valverde and that is another debate, but in the real world, Valverde is an essential part of Barca just like Arthur, Alba or Alena, and if you exclude him, then you just talk about something with one eye shut, seeing a part or the entity. Appointment mistake? Another debate, but first season domestic double, second season Liga confirmed, CdR final waiting, first CL semi done with 3-0 win over Pool suggests this particular recruitment has been good, especially since the squad you keep trashing isn't any good. Let's disagree on Firmino's transformative power and how Liverpool Suarez was so much better than Barca Suarez. Soon he can't be our starter, though, agreed on that.
The team enters this game having only lost 5 official games in 56 la liga, CdR and CL games... We have also only conceded 1 goal in last 5 CL games...while scoring 12. Hopefully the team manages the game accordingly and its relative smooth sailing.
So true. Although even if they get it, the key is not to get rattled. The first 10 minutes of this match is key, but also the next 10 minutes after the Liverpool goal is vital (if they score first).
3-nil lead from the first leg... Liverpool missing two very key players... If Barca squander this one it would, for me, be a bigger failure than Roma last season and I think that although the players would place the blame on themselves I believe Ververde's job would seriously be in jeopardy.