Magical Messi Sends Liverpool Packing

By Max Wise

Barcelona were once again indebted to Lionel Messi as the Argentine's brace took them within 90 minutes of reaching a first Champions League final since 2015 after a 3-0 victory over Liverpool in the semi final first leg at Camp Nou.

With 10 Champions League trophies between them, this game was always going to be keenly contested and defined by fine margins, and so it proved to be.

Liverpool produced a dominant display for large parts of the game but it was Barcelona who scored the goals as the visitors were made to pay for their woeful finishing.

The game started with lots of goal mouth action but lacked clear cut opportunities until the 16th minute when former Liverpool man, Philippe Coutinho curled an effort straight into the arms of Liverpool goalkeeper, Alisson.

Luis Suarez, facing Liverpool for the first time since leaving Anfield five years ago, opened the scoring in the 26th minute after getting his toe onto Jordi Alba's cross into the box and steering it past Alisson for his first Champions League goal in over a year.

Sadio Mane probably should have done better to equalise in the 35th minute after Jordan Henderson, on for the injured Naby Keita, swung a good ball into the Barcelona penalty area, but the Senegalese skied his effort with only the goalkeeper to beat.

Liverpool started the second half brightly, peppering Barcelona goalkeeper, Ter Stegen, with numerous efforts.

Three minutes after the break, Milner's curling effort into the far corner was palmed away by Ter Stegen, before the German goalkeeper scrambled across to get a hand onto Mohamed Salah's low curling strike in the 54th minute.

The visitors put together another well calculated move on the hour mark, that landed on the feet of James Milner after Wijnaldum's clever dummy, but the Englishman's effort was straight at the Barcelona goalkeeper.

Barcelona made Liverpool pay for their missed chances with 15 minutes remaining when Messi tapped into an empty net after Suarez's strike bounced off the crossbar.

The Argentine superstar underlined his status as one of the greatest players of all-time  when he curled a 30-yard free kick into Alisson's top right corner for Barcelona's third of the night and his 600th goal for the club.

Liverpool kept missing chances as Firmino had a shot cleared off the line by the Barcelona defence before Salah slammed the rebound against the woodwork with five minutes to go.

Liverpool now have it all to do in the second leg at Anfield which is just six days away, as they have a mammoth task of clawing back a three-goal deficit.