Barcelona host Liverpool in the first leg of the teams’ Champions League semi-final tie on Wednesday night.
In the quarter-finals, Jurgen Klopp’s side cruised past Porto 6-1 on aggregate, while Barcelona dumped Manchester United out of the tournament with a 4-0 victory over two legs.
Both teams enter the tie in fine form, as Barcelona were crowned La Liga champions on the weekend for the fourth time in five years, while Liverpool stayed one point behind Manchester City in the Premier League title race with a 5-0 thrashing of Huddersfield.
Klopp’s Liverpool will be looking to extend their 19 game unbeaten streak, while Ernesto Valverde’s side continue to pursue a historic treble, with former Liverpool players Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho likely to lead the line.
What time does it start?
Barcelona vs Liverpool kicks off at 8pm (GMT).
Where can I watch it?
The match will be shown live on BT Sport 2, with coverage beginning at 7pm.
Subscribers can also watch the game on BTSport.com and the broadcaster’s app, or in ultra-high definition on BT Sport 4K UHD.
Predicted line-ups
Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Semedo, Pique, Lenglet, Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, Melo; Messi, Suarez, Coutinho
Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Wijnaldum; Salah, Mane, Origi
Head-to-head…
Liverpool 0-1 Barcelona, Champions League, March 2007
Barcelona 1-2 Liverpool, Champions League, February 2007
Barcelona 0-0 Liverpool, Champions League, March 2002
Liverpool 1-3 Barcelona, Champions League, November 2001
Liverpool 1-0 Barcelona, UEFA Cup, April 2001
Form guide…
Barcelona: WDWWWW
Liverpool: WWWWWW
Odds…
Barcelona to win: 10/11
Liverpool to win: 14/5
Draw: 16/5
(Odds by Betfair)
Prediction… Barcelona 2-2 Liverpool
Despite their 4-0 aggregate win over Manchester United in the quarter-finals, Barcelona’s performances in the last round led many football fans to claim that Liverpool should beat the Catalan side handily.
Admittedly, that quarter-final tie highlighted Manchester United’s weaknesses rather than Barcelona’s strengths, and there is a feeling that Valverde’s side are a little too reliant on Lionel Messi.
Nevertheless, Barca have just been crowned La Liga champions yet again, and they still have the treble to play for, so anyone questioning their quality or hunger should do so with caution.
Trying to keep Messi quiet in his own backyard will be the toughest test of the season so far for Virgil van Dijk – who was named PFA Player of the Year this week – and for Liverpool, it’s about grabbing as many away goals as possible.
If they succeed in doing that, they will position themselves promisingly for another famous night of European football at Anfield in the second leg.
