Event of the Day: Liverpool versus Barcelona
Our event of the day is the UEFA Champions League Semi-final second leg between Liverpool and Barcelona at Anfield, where the hosts will have it all to do after falling to a 3-0 loss at the Camp Nou last week. Though Liverpool played very well for spells in Catalonia, they were ultimately unable to score what could have been a pivotal away goal meaning they must score at least three times against one of Europe’s toughest assignments to have any chance of progressing to their second consecutive Champions League final. If the task wasn’t daunting enough for Jürgen Klopp, the news of Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino’s absence gives the German a seemingly impossible mission of overcoming the three-goal deficit tonight. What will give the Anfield faithful an iota of hope is their incredible domestic form which has seen the Reds win eight in a row. They are also yet to lose a league match this term in front of their home crowd who will be hoping for a repeat of last years impressive Semi-final success over Roma, which saw them score five on their own patch.
Barcelona are well and truly in the driving seat of this tie and will be full of confidence travelling to the north of England this week. The masterful Lionel Messi proved too much for Liverpool to handle last week, and the spellbinding Argentinian will certainly be looking to boost his Champions League tally of 12 goals this term. He has notched every 62 minutes in the competition this year and has undoubtedly been the standout man so far. Though they have been one of the most successful teams at Europe’s top table, Barcelona haven’t lifted the Champions League trophy since 2015, but this year has presented itself as the best opportunity they have had since. It should be a thrilling night of European football at Anfield.
Honourable mentions around the globe go to the NHL where the St Louis Blues will take on the Dallas Stars in an exciting Game 7 at the Scottrade Center. In what has been an extremely tight affair so far, neither side have led by more than a single game at any point in the series, leaving tonight’s game almost impossible to call. Elsewhere, the NBA playoffs continue tonight with two captivating contests. Firstly, the Portland Trail Blazers will look to restore their lead against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center after the latter edged out a thriller last time out. Meanwhile, the Toronto Raptors will play host to the Philadelphia 76ers with their series tied 2-2, meaning it is all still to play for as the teams battle it out for a place in the Eastern Conference finals. In the Indian Premier League, the Mumbai Indians face the Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in the IPL playoffs. Finally, there is some action in the tennis as the Madrid Open continues, where Rafa Nadal will continue his bid to win his sixth title at this prestigious tournament.
Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!
Photos by Champions League; FC Barcelona