Champions League semifinal first leg
Messi reached 600 goals in career with a brace against Liverpool, including a splendid free-kick from 30 yards out. The world’s best player this season has crushed himself a solid and well-organized Liverpool. The final score 3-0 gives very little hopes for a comeback.
The Reds had chances to score a goal but failed to defend well on crucial moments. Messi and Suarez were very efficient. The 31 years old scored his 599 and 600 goals in 14 years career with Barcelona in 683 matches.
It seems very probable now that Messi and his team reach the Champions League Final. Early in the season the Argentine said: “We promise we’ll do everything possible to bring that beautiful and desired cup back home,”. This steo is getting closer.
FC Barcelona coach warns his team against complacency. Last year FC Barcelona had also a three goal advantage over AS Roma [4-1] and were eliminated at the quarterfnal stage.
Valverde shares his views:
“Sometimes you can dominate the rhythm of the game and sometimes they can dominate you. At some moments, Liverpool played the game how they wanted to. It is a great result, but last year we also had an advantage of three goals and well, something happened to us.”
For Liverpool, coach Klopp remains hopeful and ready to fight back:
“I’m not sure if we deserved a lot more than we got; we played a really good football game but at the end they scored three and we didn’t score, so that’s easy to accept. I think it was the best away game in the Champions League, not only this year, last year included.
Against a side like this, playing this kind of football I was completely happy. We played between the lines, we didn’t play through, we were in the box, we had really good chances and caused them a lot of problems – that’s good.
I can work really well with this game, I will use this game to show the boys what is possible. It was brave performance that was very passionate, very lively and in a lot of moments creative and direct.”
