Barcelona v Liverpool: Messi & Suarez star in Champions League semi-final first leg (RECAP)

01 May 2019

That's all from our live updates tonight on another Messi masterclass. Surely he is the greatest ever to play the game? 

Whatever the case, Liverpool have a massive, massive task on their hands to get back into this tie on Tuesday. 

Check out our full match report here:

And if you want to know what the internet is saying about that Messi magic, this is the place to go:

Can Liverpool turn things around next week? Join us then to find out - but before that, don't forget we will have the thoughts of Jose Mourinho on all this week's Champions League action on Thursday evening on RT in 'On the Touchline with Jose Mourinho'. Don't miss it!

Bye for now.  

So that's that. What an incredible night of action in Catalonia. 

Liverpool threatened, but saw their Champions League hopes blown apart by some clinical Barcelona finishing and in particular that Argentinian magician, Lionel Messi.

It looks like there is no stopping Barcelona this year. Liverpool have a huge task on their hands to haul themselves into this at Anfield next Tuesday. 

FT: Barcelona 3-0 Liverpool 

Into five minutes of injury time. Suarez makes way for Dembele, getting a huge ovation for his shift. The Uruguayan was brilliant tonight. 

Straight up the other end and Mo Salah hits the post for Liverpool! If there was a way back into this tie, that was it! But it's cleared, still Barcelona 3-0 up, into the last five minutes. 

Incredible, just incredible. 

Messi has a free-kick, 25-30 yards out - you know the rest. 

Left foot, top corner, Alisson has no chance. This man is from another planet, truly.  

GOAL! Barcelona 3-0 Liverpool 

Barcelona's Twitter account liked that Messi goal.

Meanwhile, Firmino is on for Liverpool - can he help them grab a vital away goal? 

Messi gets Barca's second after a frantic series of events. Suarez first chips against the crossbar, but it bounces back to perfectly to Messi, who chests the ball under control and taps it into the gaping net on 75 minutes!    

GOAL! Barcelona 2-0 Liverpool

Suarez knew he was in then, had Matip not tracked back brilliantly. 

Big scare for Liverpool as Suarez finds himself free from a Messi pass. It appears offside but on the replay he's timed the run perfectly, luckily for Liverpool Matip scrambles back to clear the danger. Big intervention from the Liverpool defender. 

Luiz Suarez's 26th-minute goal still separating the two teams. If you're a Liverpool fan would you take a 1-0 deficit back to Anfield? I'm thinking most would.  

Messi plays in Vidal with a sublime pass, but the Chilean's drive across goal is cut out by van Dijk. The momentum back with Barca at the moment.  

Change for Barcelona. Coutinho off, Nelson Semedo on. A quiet night for the Brazilian against his former club. 

Some Liverpool fans have apparently been giving former Reds striker Suarez some stick for not holding back in his celebrations - as if....

Liverpool are pressing here, this time Salah trying his luck from range, but his shot is saved low by ter Stegen. The Reds spending plenty of time in the Barca half in the first 10 minutes of this second half.  

A reminder that Roberto Firmino - the third prong of Liverpool's fabled attacking trident - it sitting on the bench. How long before Klopp introduces the Brazilian? 

Save! Ter Stegen saves at a stretch from a curled Milner strike from inside the box. Decent effort, decent save as Liverpool start brightly. 

Big crowd tonight at Barca's 'temple of football' 

Second half: We are back underway at Camp Nou - more of the same please! 

While we enjoy the half-time break, here's some more on that milestone Barcelona goal for you:

So, after a breathless first half - what are your thoughts? Can Liverpool get back in it? Will Barca extend their lead? 

Liverpool have got sloppy in possession as we approach half time, they keep allowing Barca the ball in danger areas but finally manage to break up the other end to ease the pressure. 

And that's half time. Barcelona head in 1-0 up thanks to that Suarez goal, but a riveting game. 

Big roar of collective anger from Camp Nou as James Milner barges Messi on the touchline for no apparent reason, but escapes a booking. Messi is back on his feet, no harm done. 

Into the last five minutes of what has been an intriguing first half. Barca still 1-0 to the good, but Liverpool probing. 

Suarez - back to bite Liverpool 

That Barcelona goal from Suarez was a milestone one for the hosts.

Big chance for Mane as he is played in over the top, but can only scoop the ball over the bar!

Away from Camp Nou, a bit of good news for you:

You can't dribble past Virgil van Dijk, but Suarez showed with that goal that you can lose him if he's marking you.

The Barca striker darted perfectly between Matip and the Dutchman to get on the end of that Alba cross - VVD could (should) have done better. 

It's former Liverpool man Luis Suarez who scores against his former club! Jordi Alba whips the ball in from the left, Suarez darts in between Van Dijk and Matip and stabs the ball past Alisson. Goal timed at 26 minutes. 

GOAL! Barcelona 1-0 Liverpool 

Yep, Keita hobbles off, Henderson is set to come on. The England man has been in fine form lately, so Klopp will hope it's not too much of a blow. Formation-wise it's like for like. 

22 minutes gone at Camp Nou, still goalless - but riveting stuff.   

Liverpool are going to lose Naby Keita to injury. He was caught by Rakitic earlier, and is struggling. Looks like he'll have to come off, club captain Jordan Henderson is warming up.  

Here's that Messi claim for handball. Definitely struck Matip's hand, but would have been incredibly harsh if it had been given. 

Coutinho draws a save from Brazil teammate Alisson, but it's at a comfortable height and the big Liverpool stopper saves to his left. Barcelona starting to find some rhythm.  

Danger for Liverpool as Messi gets the ball in the box and looks to work an opening. The ball appears to bounce up and hit Liverpool defender Matip's hand as Messi dances round him - there was contact, but the distance was surely too close to be avoidable/deliberate. Nothing given.   

The key battle?

Ten minutes gone, Liverpool looking comfortable so far, enjoying 55% of possession, which is perhaps not what you would expect.  

Liverpool looking to stretch Barcelona early at every opportunity so far. Long balls to Mane and Salah to chase, seems to be a concerted tactic thus far. 

Sadio Mane races through into the Barcelona box, and goes down under pressure from Gerard Pique. There looked like contact, but nothing from referee Björn Kuipers or the VAR. Looked like it was worth checking, at the very least.   

Chance for Barca as Ivan Rakitic is played in, but the Croatian looks to cut the ball back despite being well-placed, and his shot is blocked by Joel Matip. Five minutes gone. 

Salah with an early sniff of goal for Liverpool as he tries to dribble his way into the Barcelona box, before his shot is blocked. 

Not a bad tifo effort from the Barcelona faithful tonight - but maybe the message was somewhat lost in translation though... 

Meanwhile, the teams are out, we're nearly ready to go!

5-MINUTE COUNTDOWN 

We have around five minutes to go until the famous Champions League anthem blasts out around the vast Camp Nou arena.

We hope you are excited as we are for what we expect to be a fabulous night of football at the pinanncle of Europe.  

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has been explaining his reasons for keeping Firmino on the bench, as well as bringing Joe Gomez in at right-back for assist merchant Trent Alexander-Arnold 

“Bobby [Firmino] wants to [play] and the medical department told me ‘yes, it’s good’ but then you have to make sure – I’m not sure if 90 minutes or whatever," he told BT Sport, via the BBC.  

“He doesn’t have to start... Bobby is on the bench, that’s good news.

“It’s the same for Trent; it was clear when Joe would be available again that there would be a game and I think today it makes absolute sense in that position.

“For Trent it’s good, he can refresh a little bit, there are important games to come."

Liverpool are, of course, locked in a battle at the top of the Premier League with Manchester City with two games to play. 

SUPPORT FOR CASILLAS

There was sad news from the world of football earlier today when Spain legend Iker Casillas was rushed to hospital after suffering a heart attack at training with Porto.

READ MORE: Goalkeeping great Iker Casillas suffers heart attack in training

Thankfully, the World Cup winner is now stable, but messages of support for the Real Madrid legend have poured in - including from tonight's two semi-finalists.

Liverpool beat Porto and Casillas in the quarter-finals to set up tonight's game.  

'NOT A TEMPLE OF FOOTBALL'?! 

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp raised a few eyebrows this week when he said Barcelona's 99,000-seat Camp Nou home - one of the world's most iconic arenas - was "not a temple of football."

Plenty begged to differ, including Barca, who issued a social media riposte. 

It certainly is looking respledent tonight...

MESSI ON THE MATE 

The two teams have already long arrived at Camp Nou, which has a spine-tingling feel on big European nights like this. 

Here are the two sides making their arrivals, all looking relaxed despire the magnitude of the occasion.

Messi was sipping on his beloved mate tea, in case you were wondering...

HOW TO STOP MESSI? 

Barcelona's success will to a large extent rest with star man Messi tonight.

The Argentine magician saw off Manchester United in the last round with two strikes in the second leg, and has looked unstoppable at times.

So how to contain one of the greatest players ever? 

RT pundit Jose Mourinho offered some insight into that after the quarter-finals, telling us that teams need to create 'a cage' in the center of the park to block off Messi when he cuts inside. 

Liverpool defensive midfielder Fabinho could be in key in helping the defense out in that respect.

Jurgen Klopp's men also like a high-intensity, high-pressing style which could cut off the supply and force Messi deep to collect the ball.

All of this is easier said than done, of course...

HOME COMFORTS – BUT….

Barcelona have won 21 of their 34 home European games against English opposition, losing just twice.

But guess who both those defeats came against? Liverpool.

The Red have also drawn with the Catalans twice at Camp Nou, never being beaten there.

Liverpool also have a mightily impressive record at this stage of the competition.

IRRESISTIBLE FORCE MEETS IMMOVABLE OBJECT

A key battle tonight will be between Barca’s star man Messi and Liverpool’s defensive colossus Virgil van Dijk.

Messi is enjoying another incredible seasons, with 46 goals in all competitions. Van Dijk, though, has completely transformed this Liverpool team, and was recently named PFA player of the year in England. Incredibly, he has not been dribbled past all season – will that change tonight though?   

TEAM NEWS

The big team news for Liverpool tonight is the Roberto Firmino only makes the bench, after failing to fully recover from a groin injury.

At the back, Joe Gomez starts at right-back after recently returning from a lengthy layoff.

For the home team, Philippe Coutinho starts against his former club, while Barca are skippered, of course, by the mercurial Lionel Messi.

Hello and welcome!

It’s great to have you with us for what promises to be a HUGE night of football, as European heavyweights Barcelona and Liverpool meet in their Champions League semi-final first leg at Camp Nou.

We’ll be bringing you all the action and reaction for the game, which kicks off in around 45 minutes’ time.

Some big team news coming next…