Alisson was also back into his work as Suarez sprung the Reds' offside trap a stop that looked even more vital when Wijnaldum drove Alexander-Arnold's next delivery from open play through Ter Stegen's grasp. Liverpool host Wolves on Sunday and will hope the sense of everything being possible can be transferred to England's south coast, where Brighton and Hove Albion must prevent a City win for any chance of the Premier League title going to Merseyside. Houllier, who led Liverpool to UEFA Cup glory in 2000-01, beating the Catalan giants in the last four, claims he always backed the hosts to upset the odds and felt the stage got to Barca. Liverpool's goalkeeper intervened crucially in first-half stoppage time to deny Jordi Alba after Messi sliced the hosts open on the break. "I don't think it will affect them, I think it will be not easy at Newcastle but they'll be well prepared to win there. Liverpool have kept a clean sheet in 19 of their 36 Premier League games this season, Van Dijk featuring in all of them, while Pique has helped Barcelona to 15 clean sheets out of 33 LaLiga matches. Both Liverpool and Barcelona play the ball out from defence, with Van Dijk and Pique charged with starting attacks. Van Dijk is arguably better in the air than Pique, recording 125 headed clearances to Pique's 118, but the former Spain international has the edge with his 36 tackles won beating Van Dijk's 32. Virgil van Dijk has improved Liverpool to the extent that he pipped Raheem Sterling of Manchester City to be named the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA)Player of the Year on Sunday, despite defenders rarely winning individual awards. The sensational comeback was completed in a breathtaking Anfield atmosphereby the unlikely figure of Dejan Lovren. Liverpool went into their final fixture needing to beat Olympiacos - and if theGreek giants scored the Reds would have to win by two clear goals to qualify. "Once they scored the first goal, I knew they would go through. This will be even more painful than the defeats to Atletico Madrid, Juventus and Roma that followed Barcelona's last success in 2015.

Incredibly, though, there was even more drama to come for Liverpool in Europe that season AC MILAN 3-3 LIVERPOOL [AET], CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL, 2005. - Barcelona have now been eliminated from three of their last four Champions League semi-final ties. The Opta numbers show both players excel in this area, although Pique perhaps has the edge. Milan should still have won it late in extra time, Jerzy Dudek somehow saving Andriy Shevchenko's point-blank effort, and the goalkeeper was Liverpool's hero when it came to penalties, keeping out attemptsfrom both Andrea Pirlo and the Ukraine legend following Serginho'searly miss, handingthe Reds their fifth European crown. "My concern was at half-time how to express what I wanted to say in English to make sure the team could understand," said the Spaniard. But Van Dijk will have his hands full with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, while keeping track of Liverpool's fluid front three - Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah -will pose a unique challenge for Pique. Klopp's2016 return to former club Dortmund saw the teams draw 1-1, with few signs of the amazing drama that was to come in the second leg. Their Champions League possession statistics are remarkably similar. - They are the first English side to reach back-to-back Champions League finals since Manchester United (2008 and 2009). Y hubo una gran sorpresa: los locales vencieron 4 a 0, eliminado as al conjunto cataln, que haba ganado la ida por 3 a 0. - Origi scored his first Champions League goals, and in doing so became the 50th different player to score in the competition for Liverpool (excluding own goals). Both players have also recorded nine goal contributions this term, with Pique scoring seven goals for Barcelona compared with the Liverpool man's tally of four. De la mano de Opta y gracias a sus innovaciones tecnolgicas, te ofrecemos todas las estadsticas y detalles del partido, as como la oportunidad de revisar las mejores jugadas. It was a night for unlikely heroes and Trent Alexander-Arnold's quickly taken corner allowed Origi to smash high into the net 11 minutes from time inflicting a humbling upon LaLiga champions Barca and the great Lionel Messi even more punishing than their surrender at Roma in last season's quarter-final. What does it mean? The Netherlands international has fully justified Liverpool making him the most expensive defender in football history by splashing out75million to sign him from Southampton. He failed to create a single chance in his one-hour outing. A club and a ground steeped in great European deeds, Wijnaldum was perhaps not the man expected to add his name to Liverpool folklore. .css-1pbozi3-FotmobCopyrightSmall{color:var(--theme-inactive-text, rgba(152,152,152,1.0));} Copyright 2022 FotMob. Xabi Alonso astonishingly drew the scores level, tucking in the rebound after his penalty was saved. Jurgen Klopp's men were beaten 3-0 at Camp Nou on Wednesday as Lionel Messi's late brace put Barca in complete control of the semi-final tie. Ernesto Valverde's side had won the first leg 4-1 at Camp Nou to put one foot in the last four of the competition, only to collapse in stunning fashion on Italian soil. Shortly after Clement Lenglet's timely touch prevented Jordan Henderson from turning in Xherdan Shaqiri's low cross, the Reds captain drove into the Barcelona box and Marc-Andre ter Stegen could only push a tame shot to the feet of the waiting Origi. .css-1pbozi3-FotmobCopyrightSmall{color:var(--theme-inactive-text, rgba(152,152,152,1.0));} Copyright 2022 FotMob. Divock Origi scored early and a raucous Kop roared Jurgen Klopp's men home after Georginio Wijnaldum's second-half double, with the Belgium striker also getting his second to settle the tie.

Aside from his first-half chance, the game passed Coutinho by and he made way shortly after Wijnaldum made it 3-0, not to be trusted with turning the tide.

Liverpool were outstanding and a good performance from both. After being restricted to a cameo appearance from the bench last week,Roberto Firmino'sgroin injury has ruled him out of the return, while Mohamed Salah is also unavailable due to a head injury sustained in the weekend win at Newcastle United. They looked practically irresistible and also it makes the opponents scared. Liverpool overturned a 3-0 first-leg deficit to dump the champions of LaLiga out of the Champions League 4-3 on aggregate at the semi-final stage. Omnisport takes a lookback throughthe history books LIVERPOOL 4-3 DORTMUND [5-4 AGG], EUROPA LEAGUE QUARTER-FINAL, 2016. The numbers perhaps do not show Van Dijk's stunning impact on the Liverpool defence as a whole, though, while Alisson's signing from Roma has also boosted Jurgen Klopp's side. Now they are one game away from claiming their sixth triumph in Europe's biggest competition, while Messi's wait for his fifth goes on.. Liverpool and Barcelona have arguably the best attacks in world football right now, but it might insteadbe their defences who decide the Champions League semi-final. Rivaldo's opener, a fantastic free-kick,increased the size of the mountain Liverpool had to climb and they were still trailing at half-time. Barcelona were rocking, with memories of Rome where they crashed out after holding a 4-1 first-leg lead - flooding back as Wijnaldum rose highest to emphatically convert Shaqiri's 56th-minute centre. Jurgen Klopp's side kept the contest at a pace frenetic enough that Barcelona were rarely allowed to settle and Wijnaldum's quickfire brace before the hour had the locals in raptures. LIVERPOOL 3-1 OLYMPIACOS, CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP STAGE, 2004. Van Dijk has won 277 duels in his 45 Premier League and Champions League appearances, compared to 236 for Pique in his 47 games in all competitions for thechampions of LaLiga. Roma's away goal from the first leg meant they knew one more would send them through, with their opponents dropping deeper and deeper in the closing stages and unable to fight back against the growing pressure. El Barcelona y el Liverpool se midieron este martes en la vuelta de las semifinales de la UEFA Champions League. However,Benitez's Reds had other ideas. - Liverpool have reached their ninth European Cup/Champions League final only Real Madrid (16), AC Milan (11) and Bayern Munich (10) have reached more. .css-1pbozi3-FotmobCopyrightSmall{color:var(--theme-inactive-text, rgba(152,152,152,1.0));} Copyright 2022 FotMob. Van Dijk's four credited assists are double Pique's two, though. And Barca may be haunted by the memories of last season, too. Doubles from Divock Origi and substitute Georginio Wijnaldum fired Liverpool into their second consecutive Champions League final as Barcelona collapsed to an improbable 4-0 humiliation at Anfield. Rafael Benitez's side were faltering in the early weeks of his first season at the club, having made a slow start in the Premier League and seemingly set to exit the Champions League at the group stage. Unlikely hero Wijnaldum entered the fray in place of the injured Robertson at half-time and Liverpool resumed on the front foot, Ter Stegen repelling Virgil van Dijk's instinctive backheel volley from Alexander-Arnold's cross. Omnisport assesses their Opta numbers for the 2018-19 season so far to see if Van Dijk can truly be judged alongside Pique among Europe's elite defenders. Van Dijk loses possession far more than Pique, giving the ball away 315 times in the league to Pique's 218, although he has made three more appearances and arguably tries riskier passes than the Barcelona defender. Assessing the Opta numbers for both players shows Van Dijk is, overall, on par with Pique this term, with the pair arguably the best two centre-backs in the world at the moment. Neil Mellor put Liverpool in front in the game and who else but captain Steven Gerrard hammered home a sensational long-range strike to keep the Reds in the competition. Alisson saved sharply from Messi and Philippe Coutinho as Barca began to click into gear, with Ter Stegen's 24th-minute stop from Andy Robertson of a more unorthodox variety. .css-1pbozi3-FotmobCopyrightSmall{color:var(--theme-inactive-text, rgba(152,152,152,1.0));} Copyright 2022 FotMob. On the same day, a weary Barcelona host Getafe before a Camp Nou faithful likely to be demanding an explanation. I enjoyed watching it," Guardiola said. Liverpool's hopes of reaching the semi-final seemed over but Philippe Coutinho and Mamadou Sakho struck to level the tie at 3-3 on aggregate. Rivalling Liverpool in Istanbul for the title of greatest Champions League fightback, Roma dumped out Barca in the Champions League quarter-finals in a result Messi and his side may recall ahead of their trip to Merseyside. The Reds must quickly bounce back, however, as a loss at Newcastle United on Saturday would open the door for City to retain their crown with a win over Leicester City two days later. Facing a daunting 3-0 deficit after last week's first leg, Origi made light of Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino's absence from the Liverpool forward line by poaching a seventh-minute opener on Tuesday. Pique, however, easily has Van Dijk beaten for recoveries with 261 in his 33 LaLiga games far exceeding the 185 made by Van Dijk in his 36 Premier League appearances. "I don't think so, the game was incredibly good, both sides. Reds have six appeal as Messi's dream dies, Vincent Kompany's spectacular winner for Manchester City against Leicester City on Monday left Liverpool staring at somehow ending 10 months of relentlessly high quality without a trophy. In LaLiga this season, Pique's passing accuracy stands at a top-class 91.58 per cent, while Van Dijk's is 89.5 per cent in the Premier League. Liverpool's remarkable 4-3 aggregate triumph meansa June 1 final against Ajax or Tottenham - and the chance to right the wrongs of last season's fall to Real Madrid at the last hurdle - awaits. "This club is something special with the fans. With each player playing the full 90 minutes in nine matches in the competition this term, Pique has completed 529 passes compared to 526 for Van Dijk. Edin Dzeko struck in the sixth minute to give Roma some hope and the belief was flowing when long-term captainDaniele De Rossi converted a penalty to increase Barca's nerves. Both teams played the way they did and they deserve it.". For the last goal, Barcelona were absolutely frozen.". But his two goals in the space of 122 delirious second-half seconds provided those in attendance with memories they will never forget, as one of the unsung heroes of Liverpool's campaign emerged from a form slump to enjoy a deserved moment in the sun. .css-1pbozi3-FotmobCopyrightSmall{color:var(--theme-inactive-text, rgba(152,152,152,1.0));} Copyright 2022 FotMob.

Wijnaldum writes his own famous Anfield chapter. It's not violent, it's not aggressive, but it's very loud and it brings the players to attack. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes Liverpool's crushing defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League will have no bearing on the Premier League title race. "I think Barca defended really well, they beat an incredible team. "I don't know why but I had a feeling they could go through, even after the game in Barcelona," Houllier told talkSPORT. Dortmund were 2-0 up inside nine minutes and although Divock Origi a potential starter against Barca due to the absence of Salah and Firmino - reduced the deficit, Marco Reus then added a third away goal for the visitors. - Messi either attempted (five) or created (three) all eight of Barcelonas shots against Liverpool in this match.

Benitez sent onFlorent Sinama Pongolle and he grabbed one back, but Liverpool still needed to score twice. "Liverpool must be proud of what they did in the most difficult stadium, they played with personality and courage. Anfield predictably did not look fondly upon its two former sons, with Brazil midfielder Coutinho coming in for heavier stick than Suarez, despite the latter frequently being keen to show his appetite for the dark arts remains. Gerrard, whose all-action second-half performance defieddescription, cut the deficit to raise hope andVladimir Smicer's long-range strike made it 3-2. Liverpool will face either Ajax or Tottenham at Madrid's Wanda Metropolitano in the final next month. But Barcelona have a rock of their own at the back, with Gerard Pique enjoying one of his best seasons yet for the Catalan giants, who are hoping to win the treble once more. With eight minutes to go,Kostas Manolas completed the comeback to spark remarkable scenes of celebration at the Stadio Olimpico. Where Barca minds were muddled, Alexander-Arnold's was razor sharp and Origi pounced to leave Messi and his team-mates battered, bruised and beaten. Former Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier believes Barcelona were "scared" by the Anfield atmosphere and the performance it inspired in the Reds on Tuesday. Van Dijk's passing accuracy of 87.67 per cent in the Champions League is also lower than Pique's at 89.21 per cent. ROMA 3-0 BARCELONA, CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUARTER-FINAL, 2018. Liverpool face the daunting task of trying to overhaul their European first-leg deficit at Anfield next week, but Guardiola does not expect their continental commitments to affect their final two domestic fixtures at St James' Park and at home to Wolves. Probably the greatest comeback in Champions League history, Liverpool came from 3-0 down at half-time against AC Milan in the miracle of Istanbul. "Everybody could see that something happened in the stadium, you could feel it, you could hear it, you could smell it," said Klopp afterwards. It all points to a huge task facing Jurgen Klopp's sidebut if anyone can produce a European comeback for the ages, surely it is Liverpool. Guardiola confirmed Kevin De Bruyne will remain on the sidelines for the visit of Leicester because of a hamstring issue but is unsure over the availability of Fernandinho (knee). "They were very unlucky at Camp Nou and there is something special about this team and I had a strange feeling that they would go through. Pique and Van Dijk may be good on the ball and a threat in the opposition box, but they are both also excellent at the nuts and bolts of defending. Liverpool can take heart from a series of incredible European comebacks in their proud history when Barcelona visit Anfield for the second leg of the Champions League semi-final. Paolo Maldini's first-minute goal gave Milan the ideal start and aHernan Crespo brace seemingly secured the trophy for the Rossoneri. What's next? .css-1pbozi3-FotmobCopyrightSmall{color:var(--theme-inactive-text, rgba(152,152,152,1.0));} Copyright 2022 FotMob. Barca hold a 3-0 lead from the opening match - thanks mostly to the enduring genius of Lionel Messi - while Liverpool's slim chances of reaching a second successive finalhave been further hit by a double injury blow.