BARCA V LIVERPOOL PREVIEW & ANALYSIS II: THE REAL UCL FINAL

 
        We continue with Part II of our analysis and preview of the cataclysmic matchup between Barcelona and Liverpool:
  GOING TO SEE AVENGERS: ENDGAME? 
       ME NEITHER, because this is the only end game that matters right now: the first leg at Camp Nou on Wednesday, quickly followed by Anfield for the 2nd leg on the Tuesday of next week.
       WHO CAN STOP SALAH, FIRMINO AND MANE?
           Playing on the right for Liverpool will be "their Messi" Mo Salah, currently playing a wonderfully underrated campaign, scoring 25 EPL goals and 10 assists, including a fever-dream scream from distance against his former club Chelsea and 2 goals and a righteously unselfish assist vs Huddersfield in a 5-0 win. 
          His speed will not only keep Jordi Alba preoccupied, Barcelona will also need their left center back (either Lenglet or Umtiti) to be empirical against Salah and Alexander-Arnold's combination play.

           Salah has been deadly this season with his "sloppy" dribbling ability, usually running into a defender's challenge and the ball deflecting from his feet and into the path of a teammate who was clinical enough to score. This has happened 8 times for Mo Salah this season and it may not be as clean or as beautiful as Lionel Messi's dribbling, but it doesn't mean it's not as effective against even the best defenders. 
           Ever since the banshee beat incident with Sergio Ramos in the 2018 Champions League final, Salah has become smarter in how he grinds for position against defenders in the box or whilst running into the area. He's earned more penalties (one or two were clear dives) yet he's also continued on from his iconic first season at Liverpool while providing a sophomore campaign that holds even more ambition. Salah's play in the box has been huge for them, causing chaos with some hard to handle play that could spell cracker-jack box slapstick shenanigans for Barcelona at the back if they're not careful with him. 
           His slippery, massively underrated play has earned 10 goals for his club through uncredited, unofficial means this season, meaning that even if Salah isn't "on his game" for the mainstream to appreciate through goals or otherworldly assists (the Egyptian has been on lately), he's usually creating the goals anyway for Jurgen Klopp's men, while players Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino represent the chief profiteers from this devastating play. 
          Sadio Mane (in particular) has been irresistible this campaign and his speed combined with his deceptive movement left Barcelona stoned and starving at the Camp Nou in a 4-0 2016 preseason match, something the coaching staff of the Catalan side will be wary of. Mane's new poaching and aerial skills will send Pique and Lenglet to the doc for Xanax at halftime.
          Which brings me to the next question: can Salah sucker Clement Lenglet or Samuel Umtiti into a flailing, fouling soft penalty and grab a goal with barely any effort, cutting inside on his left and forcing a foul in the box as he has done so many times this season? 


UMTITI OR LENGLET??


           And which Barca Frenchman would succumb to such dubious and obvious Salah practices?
          Would it be Samuel Umtiti or Clement Lenglet we should be more concerned about playing in these matches?               
         Former Sevilla center back (and transfer steal of the season) Clement Lenglet has improved markedly, filling in for (the still not fully favored) Umtiti, and has been bombastic on the whole alongside Gerard Pique, helping the Catalans to 22 clean sheets, without their star World Cup winning defender.     

         His block from a close range Lyon shot (in the heat of a 2nd leg still poised at 2-1 on aggregate) was a match altering moment, as Ousmane Dembele then came on and MSD led Barcelona to a thrashing victory.
       And while Pique had a rare off night at Wembley, Lenglet didn't: His blocks, deflections and tackles vs Tottenham were critical in preserving the 4-2 away victory in the group stage.
            So, another question: supposing both Lenglet and Umtiti are fully fit, would, should....could ?????Valverde start Samuel Umtiti in either leg vs Liverpool? 
          Umtiti was much improved in his last match vs Sociedad, punching long balls out wide to the wings, while also busting into tackles with fervor and without trepidation for the first time this season. 
         Though it also must be said, Umtiti was also back to the substitutes' bench in the La Liga title sealing victory over Levante in front of 91,000+ Barca fans at the Camp Nou, with Lenglet (retaining his place as starter) in lieu of the World Cup winner and performing with admirable comfort.
         Even still, Samuel is a colossus physically and his grade A anticipatory skills and under-appreciated speed in behind are a huge boost for the Catalans to have as an option. 
        However....is Umtiti anything more than just an option, right now? And which of the two can defend Liverpool's extremely dangerous set pieces?

        I would back Umtiti to start 100% if he could've proven his fitness in at least one more match before the 1st leg, but that chance wasn't taken when Valverde opted for the consistent health of Clement Lenglet at the back when we were to make our official gallop to the La Liga title (Valverde is a fan of using these sort of personnel decisions as "messages" to his players about their place in his team).
      Believe it or not, like it or not, Clement Lenget has become someone Pique can rely on...Lenglet and Pique are sown from the same defensive cloth, are beginning to gel fantastically together and we all read about Lenglet saying that "Pique taught me everything" about the Barca way in the media recently ( https://www.barcablaugranes.com/barcelona-la-liga/2019/4/27/18519563/clement-lenglet-explains-how-gerard-pique-helps-him-at-barcelona). 
        In result, Lenglet (who was viewed before the season as nothing but an incredibly good back-up to Umtiti) has been incredible....this decision is a harder one than it looks, as Samuel Umtiti's set piece defending was illustrious in his previous seasons at Camp Nou, as well as the display of outrageous awareness and calm when defending dead ball deliveries in big matches over his short career, both for club and country.
         This decision is near impossible, with both deserving, although many would say Lenglet must start for his current exploits  while Umtiti shouldn't be started just for his past achievements.

VALVERDE VS KLOPP 


            So....what we have here is two sets of world class players, top to bottom in almost every area of the pitch. 
            Alisson for Liverpool, Ter Stegen for Barca..the two best goalkeepers in the world...Robertson compared to Alba both combining for 27 assists, TAA or Roberto both combining for 19 assists (Semedo with 2), Mane = Dembele, Firmino = Suarez, Salah hyperbolically = Messi....
          ....with the even Steven match ups all over the pitch, there is a potential for these sides to cancel each other out and the ultra-competitive play from both high-flying, high-pressing teams could spill over into reckless challenges, misplaced passing, loads of energy expelled in recovering the ball etc, with all of this culminating in a lack of quality in the final third.
             Yet what I really consider to be the biggest key to whoever wins this tie: 
 whichever manager pushes the right buttons at the precise time, and not just in the two legs, but in the league match between legs as well. 
             We know what Klopp expects from his players tactically: the heavy metal football of speedy pressing, high volume opposition half possession, fierce counter attacks and high octane dynamics, but as for Ernesto Valverde? 

           He's made his side a tactical chameleon with conservative possession paving the way for absolute attacking festivals....Jurgen Klopp will have to set his team up with care, as he may know who Valverde will start in midfield, though the switch from Roberto or Semedo at right back and Dembele or Coutinho at left forward can send teams reeling with weaknesses they failed to take advantage of, or wrinkles they didn't expect: such as Roberto's propensity to cut inside when playing right back and operate as a fourth midfielder. 
            However, has Valverde rotated his older stars enough to see them play to their best abilities vs Liverpool? Suarez looked rugged again vs Levante, wasted out there for another 90 minutes he should've spent on the bench, Busquets and Messi were summoned from the bench to finally finish off the La Liga title and Pique and Alba were both on from the start.
            Does Valverde have his priorities straight?

Especially if one of the Barca stars goes down with a bad muscle injury from all of the unnecessary minutes played during the long season, or if players are out of it from not having the proper rest.
          Liverpool are still fighting tooth and nail with Manchester City for the Premier League, their potential first since 1990 (and since it was dubbed the "Premier League"), while Barcelona have won La Liga and have nothing but time to spare...that is as long as Valverde's rotations continue and the toll from playing nearly every match of the season doesn't come back to haunt the likes of Messi, Pique, Busquets, Alba or Suarez. 
              The biggest decisions for Jurgen Klopp reside in the midfield areas. Jordan Henderson will start at central defensive mid, which leaves two other spots open, with options like Gini Wijnaldum, Fabinho, Milner, even the just returned Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain etc ready and available. 
              But who does Klopp start against Barcelona's midfield trio? 

              To get the best out of his midfield against the mastery of Busquets, Arthur and Rakitic, one must break down bits of possession, foul, tackle and harass Sergi in his CDM role, refusing to allow easy distribution to the front three, they must be able to calmly possess the ball and take the sting out of the match (as Tottenham did so well against Manchester City) and they have to bust out of the crowded center of the park and spread play wide. 
              The midfield three that can out-muscle and athletically rip the ball away from the likes of Arthur, Busquets and Rakitic without constantly fouling, and the trio that can burst through the lines and grab goals for the Reds are: Henderson at CDM, Naby Keita to the left and James Milner to the right, giving a perfect balance of experience, physically robust profiles, creative panache and finesse in possession, all straddled with a fantastic footballing IQ. Gini Wijnaldum could easily slot into Keita's spot, a choice Klopp will most likely make, although I feel Naby Keita's aggressive dribbling ability and pace have the necessary minerals to disconnect the Barcelona midfield triangle.
             But as I pointed out in the first article: this midfield trio of Liverpool's can be had by hesitation wing play, just as Barcelona can be screwed by this set of tactical nous. This play carried out by Huddersfield vs Liverpool in the 5-0 victory is a perfect example of how you can get to Liverpool from the hesitation play of the wingers and or fullbacks combined with the smart midfield runs in behind:

          If Huddersfield nearly scored (with the match at 1-0) from this sort of movement, imagine what Jordi Alba, Messi, Suarez, Dembele, Rakitic, Sergi Roberto or Coutinho could do...
       As for Valverde's chamelonic philosophy, it has its roots long before some of you even watched football, so it's an interesting history lesson into the roots of Barcelona's recent past, present and future state of play.

             After the 2011 UCL winning season where Barcelona and Pep Guardiola reigned supreme with a growing collection of the greatest talent ever collected on one team, every manager hunkered down in film rooms, training grounds and cafes in Europe and the world over to figure out how to beat them, and the answers weren't so clear at first. 
            At first it was Barcelona beating themselves, with Inter Milan (2010 semis) and Chelsea (2012 semis) trumping the "greatest team on earth" almost on default and Messi hit the post from a penalty vs the London club and Fernando Torres happened to score one of his 3 goals that season for Chelsea, Xavi hitting the post...it was a harsh, unlucky match, while Mourinho's Inter were dogged, defensive and deserved to go through after playing with 10 men for over 80 minutes after a dubious Busquets initiated Thiago Motta red card (Motta was a former Barca man). 
          But then came 2013, a year where Messi was already hampered by hamstring injuries, Busquets tore his groin and Pique idiotically shaved his head,and the "tiki-taka" dependence on Messi, Iniesta and Xavi was found out when Bayern Munich ruptured Barcelona 7-0 across two legs to make it a truly embarrassing defeat.
          In the years following, Atletico Madrid used somewhat the same tactical subtleties against us (gang-fouling our star men on the ball, pressing our defenders and keeper extremely high, countering with unreal pace and actually finishing chances against us) and knocked us out accordingly. 
         Later on in this decade, Juventus used the same cold, calculating and bluntly violent tactics against us in the 2017 quarterfinals as well, sending us out on our asses (and Pjanic undercutting Messi to put him on his, breaking the Argentine's jaw in the process) after a 3-0 1st leg debacle in Turin followed by a regrettable 0-0 draw at Camp Nou that broke my heart completely.
          Over the course of last season, Ernesto Valverde seemed clueless as to how he could instill his pragmatic philosophy into the Barca DNA, wilting embarrassingly against Roma for all to see. Yet in 2019, Valverde has had success abandoning his usual absolute pragmatism and instead making the Catalan club impossible to figure out, not just tactically but in the profiles of the personnel and how he goes about using them.
           He has had issues with non rotation and his sense of timing when it comes to substitutions (his hatred and absolute disinterest in Malcolm is unreal to me), although now it seems Ernesto has heeded the words of his critics, which includes me, now a reformed Valverde skeptic.
          Maybe Valverde is finally grasping what it means to be manager at Barcelona: putting on smarter substitutions at more appropriate times, promoting forward impetus through his selection and varying our capabilities and chemistry in all three phases (who knew Semedo and Roberto could play left back and in the same match), and he's begun to show a lot more emotion after big goals, not acting so jaded and casual as before.

           This tactical expansion not only makes this squad nearly impossible to stop in full flight, it leaves even the purest world class defenders with only options of violence and brutal fouling in hopes that it'll resort in a Messi or Busquets injury.
          Valverde has to play to win in both legs, he has to set his team up to go for goals and has to let Messi, Suarez, Dembele and Coutinho all play together and flourish at some point in time in one, or hopefully both of the legs. 

COMPARING THE TWO KEEPERS        
           The excitement (universally and personally) for these two matches is unbridled in my recent memory as a Barcelona fan, obviously excepting the four finals I've experienced as a fan beginning in 2006. 
           Even going into the 2nd leg vs PSG down 4-0, I had a feeling we would achieve the impossible, yet the feeling of that match pales in comparison to the feeling I have going into these two legs.
           I'm sure the same goes for you.
           I am filled with an intense optimism: 

this is the best chance Lionel Messi has had to hoist the Champions League in his entire career, Barcelona have always been drawn against extremely difficult marquee clubs for entertainment, marketing, sponsorship money and gambling factors by UEFA, this season being no different, though such clubs as Inter and Manchester United displayed pedigree only in name than on the pitch when playing Barcelona.
       But thanks to Ajax and Tottenham, If Barcelona could get through this incredibly tough task against Liverpool, pulling through in the 2nd leg and finishing the job amidst the insanity of the Kop, then they deserve to be Champions League holders and would most definitely finish the job against either Tottenham or Ajax (cross your fingers and knock on wood because you know that you should against Ajax!!!).
           While Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp are the best placed team to beat Barcelona

Once the nurturing manager of Coutinho's talent, Klopp must now be the architect of his undoing at his "dream club"

and have designs on holding the title themselves, they also boast an amazing attack to provide enough goals to pull it off.
           Klopp's men have scored 124 goals to Barcelona's 136, translating to an average of 2.4 per match for Barca and 2.2 for Liverpool, meaning there's hardly any difference whatsoever as far as scoring the goals, yet when talking about denying them, Alisson and VVD's arrivals at the Merseyside have absolutely turned Klopp's squad from one of the most porous defenses to the best in the EPL, allowing only 29 goals total in all competitions. Marc-Andre Ter Stegen has allowed 32 in La Liga alone...39 total...although to be fair, his starting World Cup winning colossus at left center back was absent 3/4 of the season and the German did pull off what every human being wants to do: punch Sergio Ramos in the face and get away with it.     
        Defense: advantage Liverpool.
        However, the two will be tested by the likes of Messi, Firmino (or Origi, Sturridge if Firmino can't go), Suarez, Mane, Salah or Dembele, Coutinho, some of the best shooters of our time. 
         This should be oodles of fun if both teams have their shooting boots on. With the two best keepers in the world, the shot stopping and the goals would be hard earned and the best team would be guaranteed to go through, although scoring in the tie may prove especially difficult.
          Liverpool and Alisson have only allowed 20 goals In 36 appearances in the Premier League and 20 clean sheets, have given up 9 goals in 10 appearances in the Champions League and 4 clean sheets to go with it. 
         Meanwhile, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen has been very hard to breach lately, too, pulling off 7 shutouts in the last 9 matches and 22 clean sheets on the season, making some improbably vicious saves in the year where he stakes the biggest claim of anyone as the best goalkeeper in the world (example: his double save vs Sevilla must be seen to be believed; his outrageous saves recently vs Villareal; the Terrier shot he tipped on to the post at the beginning of the 2nd leg vs Lyon; the diving / upper 90 Bilbao save; the robbing of Benzema and Modric from point blank range in one of the El Clasicos, among a host of others that have been supernatural).
           Alisson and Ter Stegen are also incredible with their feet and maintain ridiculously advanced anticipation skills, helping their defenders time and time again with their clearances and readiness to pounce on a cross at its apex, or hunt long balls on the wings and cover their fullbacks who are usually caught up the pitch....
        Merely putting stats up to show how good Liverpool are defensively doesn't do them justice, when even in the most intense matches Alisson has made acrobatic and impossible saves to keep it level and keep a dominant display whole (vs Napoli especially), while Ter Stegen's heroics have been called upon to actually alter results for the Catalans.
         And although Alisson had some fantastic saves against Barcelona last year when he played for Roma, it must be said that the Brazilian isn't as complete as Ter Stegen is with his hands. Alisson Becker loves to parry shots away, almost neglecting to catch the ball even when the alternative is harder. 
        This is something that could come back to haunt Alisson Becker, with Suarez scoring from 3 rebounds this season and Messi, Dembele both with 2.
          And while Ter Stegen hasn't had any errors (or made a single unsuccessful touch all year) Alisson has made 3 atrocious errors that led directly to goals in the EPL, his Gerrard slip in front of his own goal, tripping over his own feet and squirting the ball to Kelechi Iheanacho being a horrendously bad blooper reel.
        Goalkeeping: advantage Barca.
       
ROADMAP TO VICTORY

            What makes me most excited: with this scenario of a 1st leg at Camp Nou and a 2nd at Anfield?Barcelona can't wait for the 2nd leg to turn on the style: they'll have to bring it instantly, jump into the fire, dance themselves clean and put Liverpool to the sword with at least a 2 goal lead and a clean sheet...something that could be done if Firmino's "muscle tear" (as reported by The Guardian from the mouth of Jurgen Klopp) actually benches the Brazilian for at least the 1st leg.
          That is something the Catalans must take advantage of since Firmino is such a dominant and nasty presser of the defenders and goalkeeper. Our distribution from the back must be of the highest order whether he is there or not, Klopp's men can still press us into mistakes that will haunt our nightmares if we aren't careful, Firmino or not.
             The recipe for a Barcelona victory over two legs:
              The first ingredient is to force Liverpool into their bad habit of conservative, back line possession. Dembele, Messi and Suarez must all press as a unit, with a fourth presser coming from midfield to press high (Rakitic does this mostly) and force VVD, Lovren and Alisson to move away from the outlet passes to TAA and Robertson, aka the safety zones of the Liverpool back-line and to other, less comfortable areas of the pitch.                    Once it's back to Alisson for the restart, Suarez and Dembele must press Alisson into thumping it down the middle where Barca have been dominant in winning aerial duels, turning battles for a single header into quick, on the carpet forward passing that confuses and disorients opponents.
          Since the days of Guardiola, Cruyff, Enrique and then later, Victor Valdez and Carles Puyol and now with the torch being passed to Ter Stegen, Gerard Pique, Busquets  and Jordi Alba, the Catalans created the offensive build-up from the back and nobody does it better, not even Liverpool, and they need to make that apparent.
           The second ingredient is using Ousmane Dembele's pace: first, as an extra defender on the wing against Salah and Alexander-Arnold and 2nd as a ruthless final third creator or finisher. 
         The Frenchman holds such boundless pace going forward, to the point it must also be utilized in shielding Alba. Then, using his bursts of speed and mere presence on the wings to occupy and disrupt Alexander-Arnold's danger going the other direction.
            The third ingredient is outlasting Liverpool physically on the wings and in midfield.
            The more we work the ball corner to corner, side to side, breaking lines and clusters in the middle, in combination with bruising and expert tackling on Salah, Mane and Firmino (who according to Jurgen Klopp "may miss the match at Camp Nou on Wednesday"), Origi or Shaqiri, if we can stunt the front three's abilities to actually maintain considerable possession, the more free space Messi will have to run into as Liverpool's midfield rushes forward to hurry the ball to their main men, leaving gaps in behind in the process. 
            And when Messi has free space at the center attacking slot, it doesn't matter who Liverpool have, he will make you pay.
            But if Alba and Semedo/ Roberto allow TAA and Robertson the space to lash in crosses, Liverpool will score easy goals. We must deny space in all areas of the pitch, yet the wings feel most critical, as that is where 80% or more of Reds' goals are generated.
           The fourth ingredient in the soup of Barca's spot in the final: controlling the transition game. 
           More than any other side in the world, Liverpool are best suited to ruin Barca's treble winning season with their outrageous transitory play. Jordan Henderson is absolutely intense when pressing in midfield and recovering possession, dishing 4 assists and scoring a goal in the last 5 matches. 
     I'd also love to highlight his exquisite passing vs Porto, his tackling against Bayern, and the manner in which he ran riot over Southampton off of the bench to relieve fans' worries.
          Henderson is consistently devastating in the final third when breaking on the ball, and when the former Sunderland man has options driving towards Ter Stegen's goal, he has the passing abilities and the willing runners (Mane, Firmino, Salah, etc) to unlock the door. 
           One way of stopping Henderson being able to press or harry Busquets (I'm expecting Klopp to have Henderson come from midfield and press and attack Busi), is to get him into early yellow card trouble, which would mean a less aggressive, nearly "afraid to touch opponents" version of the player, something that would almost cut his effectiveness in half, such is the awesome play Liverpool develop from his tackle-hungry, ball-winning exploits.           If Rakitic, maybe even Coutinho could sucker Henderson into an early, emotional tackle leaving a mark, it may get him booked...and that could put a wrench into Klopp's plans immediately. 
           However, James Milner, Naby Keita (posted 8 tackles vs Porto), Fabinho and Gini Wijnaldum are all great tacklers in the center of the park and the front three (or two, if Firmino is absent for the 1st leg) will be running at our back five (inc. Ter Stegen) and Sergi to press them into oblivion...but if we can pass through that press, with the expert passing on the turn by Arthur Melo (a player who looked back to his best form and fitness when Barcelona outlasted Levante) or the brutal precision of Ivan Rakitic and his own "Klopp-style" form of pressing, we can give Liverpool a taste of their own medicine and use it to our advantage by starving them of the ball like a Neil Young show without any songs from the 70s.
            Win it back quickly, keep it, pass even faster, win it back, take the ball, keep it...rinse, wash and repeat....we need to show Liverpool that the La Masia machine is now running like a current through these players, and though Barcelona haven't shown the world their best all around match yet, or have even had their all star XI in one game together (Messi, Suarez, Dembele, Coutinho, Arthur, Busquets, Roberto, Pique, Umtiti, Alba), they are a bolt of lightning in a jar waiting to be released...Pandora's Box and the Messi madness and the Suarez dances, or the Coutinho revenge will burst out and they will look hungry for the ball, or the Dembele coming out party that finally takes root on the fast break, thanks to winning possession in the Liverpool half.
           And the fifth and final ingredient: the former Liverpool players, Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho and how they'll play against their past.  
         After protracted and tabloid obsessed transfer sagas that raged on, both stars of Liverpool left one after another: Suarez first in 2014 after the epic 2nd place EPL season, and then Phil left in the January window of 2018, the oddest time for Coutinho to have ever left. 
       The sagas were damaging for the players: Suarez took months to adjust to Spain, not only from his FIFA suspension until October of that season for his bite in the World Cup, but the media buzz and cranky, controversy-grabbing aftermath from his departure wore him down. 
           Yet this was way worse for Coutinho: his saga went on for nearly two complete years, if not more. The rumors were swirling in the media as if they had found Hoffa's corpse at Battersea Power Station, and the animosity between the player and the American Fenway Group (that was perceived as "unwilling" to let their star man depart to his "dream club") was printed, posted and debated everywhere.

            Coutinho became a better player at Liverpool and may have been able to win them the Champions League vs Real Madrid had he been on the pitch in that final (considering they were without Mo Salah for 78 minutes), and I believe that's something Merseyside Reds fans will never forget. They'll boo him heavily at Anfield if he plays, every time he touches the ball, though at Camp Nou, also expect to hear boos going Coutinho's way. 
             The Reds fans will be heard heckling both Suarez and Coutinho home and away, however I feel they've still been more sad about the Uruguyan leaving to Barcelona (known affectionately to Reds fans in the pubs as "Jaws") especially after his World Cup biting scandal that marred his last moments at the club. 
            As for the Brazilian? They're still furious with Coutinho for the way he left their club.
           And you'd be stupid to ignore this past if James Milner or Jordan Henderson purposefully go flying into Coutinho or Suarez with malicious intent, or vice versa. I doubt that animosity exists between the players on the pitch, though in the heat of competitive battle (in what will be two Champions League finals for us all to enjoy and be terrified by) things can get out of hand and challenges can go too far.
              More importantly (for this facet of the story to work in Barca's favor) Coutinho (if started over Dembele, or if he comes on as a substitute) needs to play up to his optimum and do what he does best: create and score. 

             The Brazilian was playing a fantastic 1st half when he was taken off at half time vs Levante, Valverde resting him for the Liverpool match most likely (look, another Valverde message). Coutinho was pressing high, winning the ball, passing well, creating chances (including one Lenglet nearly headed down to Pique to tap in at the far post) and taking some mouth-watering blasts at goal, 8 in total, hitting the bar from a free kick and aiming a wide open header straight down for Aitor Fernandez to safely collect. 
             Is Coutinho ready to go to war against his former club?
             Or is this maybe a case of Valverde using Coutinho in the home match from the start, Dembele from the bench and then Dembele from the start at Anfield with Coutinho from the bench to 
A) protect Coutinho from the boos at Anfield that could hamper him 
and/or
B) also rest Ousmane Dembele (who wasn't absolutely sparkling vs Levante, although he had some fantastic moments, too).
             Could Coutinho rise to the occasion and deliver in the biggest matches of his Barcelona career? 
             And, if he fails to deliver, could Bartomeu insure that his career at the Camp Nou ends before it has even begun?
             
IN CONCLUSION


         In conclusion, both legs are going to be rip roaring and exciting, regardless of the score. 
          Both sides love to possess the ball, they love to attack, they hate allowing goals and they have two sets of phenomenal, beyond world class forwards, the best four fullbacks and two most dominant goalkeepers, with each side also claiming the single two best defenders in the game.
        Both sides press high, with Firmino and Suarez leading the front pressure, and both sides have an abundance of midfield technical talent. 
              Liverpool have the edge athletically, Barca have the advantage technically, Klopp's side have the better physical condition and youth on their side in some areas of the pitch that could hold an advantage for them, specifically in midfield.
              But no man's plans can get in the way of what this other man wants to do:
             Messi not only said he "would deliver the Champions League", he pledged that to Barcelona fansbefore the first match of the season, in his first campaign as captain. 
         This title means more to him than any other, with years of European and world-wide Ronaldo-obsessions finally waning and clearing the path for the Argentine's coronation....but Liverpool could ruin the party.
          While Barcelona fans feel owed this Champions League title, Liverpool also feel this is their best chance to win it since 1985 (they had no chance to win in 2005, 2007 and barely did in 2018), and they're right. 
          These are the two matches that will define the success or failure for both clubs, and while Reds fans will be ecstatic with a historic league title, Barca fans shouldn't accept anything other than the Champions League title itself.
              Sorry, but when you have the best player in the world and four or five of the top 25 best players in your squad, you must give everything to deliver on the biggest occasions....
             ...for Messi, he will accept nothing but victory and nothing but the title. He's continued to play as if he's possessed, superseding every legendary player you've ever seen before: he does it his way.

             Every time uncharted territory has been laid out in front of Lionel Messi, he has welcomed the challenge and spat in its face: it used to be "Messi cannot score against English opposition"  and he "couldn't score with his head" until he scored a header in the 2009 final vs United, then in the next two seasons he scored 4 (spooky and legendary) goals we ALL remember on Arsenal in one match, 2 nasty goals in the other season over Arsenal, and scored against United in a UCL final yet again; Messi has buried Manchester City a few times, Chelsea last year (the revenge for 2012), Tottenham this year, Manchester United this season again, Arsenal in 2016... etc...nobody has ever said anything about him "failing to score against English opponents" since. 

           Then it was "he isn't better than Ronaldo", but as he won Ballon D'or after Ballon D'or, FIFA player of the year, scored 73 goals in a single campaign, won 4 UCL titles with Barcelona, breaking every team and individual record in sight, single-handedly carried Argentina to three straight international finals including the 2014 World Cup Final....and even now after Messi rose above United, thrashed and buried them this season and Ronaldo's Juventus crashed out in impotent fashion vs Ajax, the Barca captain and greatest player of all time is still having to fight for his reputation every match.
            And now the current thing that Messi "can't do" is score against Liverpool, because he failed to in the Round of 16 tie in March 2007 vs the Reds, a team that marched on to the UCL final that year.
            So now Messi has to listen to these comments about him "not being able to score against Liverpool" and he's going to remember them, take stock and give everything for his club to advance.
            There's a reason we waited until the last of this article to talk about Lionel Messi in full. 46 goals, 19 assists and being directly responsible for 9 other goals in 45 overall appearances is criminal in its outrageousness. 
             In what may be Lionel Messi's greatest season, we see the mainstream public take him for granted more than ever before, batting an eyelash at his double vs United and his brilliant play in the season throughout. 
             If you're only watching his goals and highlights, you're missing the full picture. 
             Lionel Messi doesn't have to score 2 or 3 goals in one match of this tie (or even across the two legs) for Barcelona to advance. Actually, in some of his club's greatest moments, he was the one creating the goals, not scoring them: the last second Iniesta goal vs Chelsea in 2009 (watch how Messi earns Iniesta space to score), the rip-roaring shot that Buffon spilled straight to Suarez for the tap-in that broke the 1-1 deadlock in the 2015 UCL final vs Juve, the duo of assists in extra time of the 2-0 Copa Del Rey final win vs Sevilla in 2016, ....the list goes on and on...
             Lionel Messi will do everything he can to send the Catalan giants through to their first final since 2015, an eternity for a club with the greatest player in the world, and a feeling of it being another lifetime thanks to Real Madrid's 3 straight UCL titles that made this whole thing feel like a bad acid trip in the back seat of a taxi with Rudy Giuliani. 
             I cannot wait for these matches, as I'm sure neither can you, yet how the hell do we go about predicting these occasions? It's nearly impossible, but after much thought and inner / outer debate (driving many around me crazy in the process) I have formulated a two leg scenario that scares the hell out of me, but would feel as if it were the greatest semifinal of all time, and perhaps, if the final at the Wanda in Madrid in June is a daft run-away match for either Barca or Liverpool, then it would make these two legs the true final of 2019...
             With much trepidation, excitement, orgasmic readiness and feverish worry, we predict these lineups and the outcome of the two matches below....
            Thank you so much for reading, though this boils down to what club wants it more, what set of players play quickest in a controlled manner, which team dictates the transitory play, which group of fans give their players more on the pitch (I mean you jaded Socis at Camp Nou, raise your voices!), and if it'll be Lionel Messi or Mohamed Salah, Luis Suarez or Sadio Mane who can create the most goals over the two legs.
              With that... buckle your seat belts, get your diapers ready, set your DVRs and set them good, don't you dare let anyone ruin the score for you (if you can't watch it live) and get ready to have your mind exploded by the head, the heart, the glory and the magic of football.
             
PREDICTED LINEUPS:
BARCA GK Ter Stegen 
RB Semedo 
CB Pique 
CB Umtiti (I believe in Lenglet, too)
LB Alba
CDM Busquets
RCM Rakitic 
LCM Arthur 
RF Messi
CF Suarez 
LF Dembele 

subs: Coutinho, Arturo Vidal and Sergi Roberto

LIVERPOOL
GK Alisson 
RB TAA
CB Lovren
CB VVD
LB Robertson 
CDM Henderson 
RCM Wijnaldum 
LCM Milner 
RF Salah
CF Firmino (if not fit, Divock Origi, who started the 2nd leg vs Porto, will start)
LF Mane 

subs: Naby Keita (or Fabinho), Daniel Sturridge, Xherdan Shaqiri 
PREDICTIONS:
1st Leg: 3-1 Barcelona
2nd Leg: 3-2 Liverpool AET 
(Barcelona advance 5-4 on away goals after extra time, the first extra time match played in the Messi era )
             
        
       
              

the only photos I own are the Huddersfield v Liverpool screenshots, all others are used with thanks and acknowledgment of others work and their copyright!