Relive all the action as Liverpool stage an incredible comeback against Barcelona and star man Lionel Messi in their UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg at Anfield.
07 May 2019
Anfield is still rocking as the Liverpool fans show no sign of heading home - and who can blame them.
But we'll have to leave our live updates here. Thanks for joining us for an incredible night of action - it was a privilege to share it with you.
We'll be back with you for tomorrow night's semi-final second leg between Ajax and Tottenham which will decide who Liverpool meet on June 1 at the Wanda Metropolitan in Madrid.
Bye for now.
Roma all over again.
For Messi and Barcelona, that is the second stunning Champions League comeback they have been on the end of in successive seasons.
Last season it was a 3-0 defeat in Roma, this time 4-0 at Liverpool.
No fifth Champions League crown for Messi this season.
Liverpool players and staff are understandably lapping up the adulation from a raucous Anfield. What a night, what a team.
Liverpool four, Barcelona nil.
Even by this club's standards, that is one of the most incredible nights Anfield has ever seen.
Full-time!
They've done it! Liverpool are in the Champions League final!
Chance! Liverpool almost snatch one as Mane breaks free, but the striker is offside. Unbelieavble tension at Anfield.
5 minutes of added time, 5 minutes for Liverpool to hang on for dear life.
As you would expect, Barcelona pressing massively here. Liverpool hanging on, 2 minutes of normal time left....
Quite simply incredible. Barcelona caught napping at a corner, Trent Alexander-Arnold crosses and Origi turns home!!
Liverpool are ahead in the tie with around 10 minutes to go!
GOAL!!! Livepool 4-0 Barcelona (aggregate 4-3)
Inside the last 15 minutes at Anfield, and Liverpool's energy levels have - perhaps inevitably - dropped somewhat as Barcelona press.
A Barca goal would leave Liverpool needing to score twice, remember.
A good question...
Change for Barcelona - midfield hardman Vidal is off, Arthur is on.
Barcelona enjoying a spell of possession, to a backdrop of boos from the Anfield crowd. Suarez is flagged for offside - the Uruguayan firebrand has endured a tough night so far.
Twenty minutes to play of normal time, and a reminder that we are LEVEL on aggregate in this tie at 3-3.
Going to extra-time as things stand.
Rome all over again??
Chance!
Messi is in on the right, chests the ball down beautifully but his low drive is saved by Alisson.
Messssiiiiii..... fires the ball into the wall. No repeat of his first-leg heroics this time.
Messi hits full flight and is brought down cynically by Matip - who goes in the book.
The free-kick is definitely within range for the Agrentine magician...
Anfield is rocking, Barcelona are dazed as Ernesto Valverde brings on Nelson Semedo for the ineffective Coutinho in an attempt to steady the ship.
Surely echoes of Rome 2018 are going through Barca players' minds.
GOAL!!! Liverpool 3-0 Barcelona! (Aggregate 3-3)
Unbelievable! Wijnaldum again! This time the Dutchman jumps highest to head in a Shaqiri cross! We are all square on aggregate!
GOAL!! Liverpool 2-0 Barcelona (aggregate 2-3)
Substitute Georginio Wijnaldum slots home from a Trent Alexander-Arnold cutback on 54 minutes!
The COMEBACK IS ON!
Ivan Rakitic into the book for handling the ball. Looked a tad harsh from referee Cüneyt Çakir.
Chances!
Virgil van Dijk almost backheels in from a corner but Ter Stegen is equal to it, then it's straight down the other end and Alisson saves from Suarez!
All action at Anfield.
Shaqiri breaks down the right, lofted ball into the box but Barcelona head clear. Liverpool will be looking for a start to this half similar to that in the first.
Back underway at Anfield!
One change at the break, Robertson forced off with injury, replaced by Georginio Wijnaldum. James Milner - Mr Versatile - will slot in at left-back.
Some first-half stats for you:
Barcelona had more of the ball with 54% possession, but Liverpool had 7 shots to the visitors’ 5.
Three of those were on target for the Reds – the same as for Barca.
Four corners apiece, while Liverpool committed 6 fouls to Barca’s 2.
One booking for either side: Fabinho for Liverpool, Sergio Busquets for Barcelona.
Half time: Liverpool 1-0 Barcelona (1-3 aggregate)
A breathless first half that picked up when the last leg left off. Liverpool with the perfect start, and they have pressed relentlessly - but Barcelona have missed some BIG chances.
Stay with us, we are in for an intriguing second half.
Another chance for Barcelona! Messi plays a defense-splitting pass into Jordi Alba, but his shot is smartly saved by Alisson. Big let-off on the stroke of half-time for Liverpool.
Close!
That's the danger from Messi as he breaks free and lets fly with a low left-footed strike, but it goes just past Alisson's left-hand post.
4 minutes of added time at Anfield. Some injury stoppages, so makes sense.
Sergio Busquets catches Fabinho with his shoulder as they challenge for a header, with the Barcelona man going in the book.
Andy Robertson is the latest Liverpool player to suffer an injury scare after going down off the ball while in the proximity of Luis Suarez, but the Scot is also OK to continue.
A bit of a lull in the game as Barcelona control possession as we enter the last 5 minutes before half time.
Scratch that, Henderson IS all right to continue, and is back on the pitch. 33 minutes gone at Anfield.
Worrying scenes for Liverpool as skipper Jordan Henderson is down clutching his right knee in agony.
He turned before slipping to the turf and appearing to collide with Lenglet. Seems as if he can't continue.
Liverpool fans subjecting Suarez to some choice words so far. Reports of fans chanting "f*ck off Suarez" at their former striker, as well as "cheat, cheat."
And there he was thinking he would get a warm welcome from the Anfield faithful...
Chance!
Mane breaks down the left for Liverpool before the ball falls to Robertson. The Scot lets fly with a left-foot piledriver which dips and swerves, but Ter Stegen diverts the danger. Hust under 25 minutes gone at Anfield.
Liverpool pressing forward, but are also living VERY dangerously at the back. Messi comes close, as does Coutinho as Barcelona look for the away goal that would surely kill the tie.
Cracking opening so far.
Ovigi strikes
The opener from Ovigi came after sloppy play from Jordi Alba, as he lost the ball and Sadio Mane played in Henderson. His shot was saved, but Origi was on hand to turn in the rebound.
Liverpool are already pressing for a second as Sadio Mane goes down in the box looking for a penalty.
Nothing given as contact looked minimal, but Barcelona looked shaken.
Fabinho then goes into the book for a foul on Suarez.
A fired-up start from the hosts.
It's the ideal start for the men in Red as Divock Origi turns home on 7 minutes after Marc-Andre ter Stegen saves a Jordan Henderson shot.
Barcelona looked rocked!
GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Barcelona
Origi hands the hosts the perfect start!
Messi indicated to Turkish referee Cüneyt Çakir that Robertson had clipped him across the face after that incident.
The Scot certainly caught him while he was on the deck, but handbags really.
Liverpool might not want to get the man in green too angry though...
Already some aggrevation between Lionel Messi and Andy Robertson, after the Scot gave Messi a tap across the head as he sat on the floor following a tackle.
Fiery stuff.
Kick-off: We are underway at Anfield!
And Luis Suarez has already been roundly booed by the home fans for getting the match underway.
The Champions League anthem is done, kick-off is imminent at Anfield!
'You'll never walk alone!' belts out around Anfield.
Just over five minutes to go until kick-off, and the atmosphere is building nicely.
This famous old stadium has seen some incredible nights down the years, and will need another one tonight if the home team is to stand any chance of reaching the Champions League final in Madrid on June 1.
The teams are completing their warm-ups at Anfield, with the visitors looking relaxed. A 3-0 headstart will do that for your confidence, I suppose...
Barcelona were famously on the end of a remarkable comeback against Roma in 2018, when they let a 4-1 first-leg lead slip.
Liverpool 'keeper Alisson was between the sticks for the Italians that day - but surely that couldn't happen again... could it?
ENTER SHAQIRI
Xherdan Shaqiri has got the nod from Jurgen Klopp tonight as Liverpool attempt to fll the void left by Salah and Firmino.
The dimunitive Swiss international, 27, is capable of magic on his day, but will need to put in a huge performance for his team to stand any chance tonight.
RED RISING?
Liverpool fans greeted their team's arrival at Anfield in typcially fiery fashion, setting off a haze of red flares.
The Barcelona bus also made it, after some bizarre reports it had been stolen and driven around Liverpool last night - which the local police soon dismissed.
TOUCH OF CLASS FROM BARCA
There was a touch of class form Barcelona officials earlier today when they laid a wreath at the Anfield memorial to the 98 victims of the Hillsborough disaster.
Big respect to the Catalan club for the touching gesture.
‘A WAKE-UP CALL FOR MESSI’
Barcelona might expect fireworks on the Anfield pitch tonight, but perhaps would not have expected them outside the team’s hotel in Liverpool.
But that’s exactly what happened when a group of (desperate?) Liverpool fans tried to disrupt Messi and Co’s sleep in the early hours of the morning with a rude awakening in the form of a fireworks display.
More on that here:
Also on rt.com ‘Wake-up call for Mr Messi’: Liverpool fans set off fireworks outside Barca team hotel (VIDEO)NEVER GIVE UP
Liverpool star Mo Salah is of course missing tonight after concussion protocols demanded he rest following his clash of heads with Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka at the weekend.
But the Egyptian king has a clear message for his teammates as he watches from the stands, judging by his T-shirt choice..
SUAREZ RETURNS
Livewire Uruguayan Luis Suarez bit the hand that used to feed him last time round at Camp Nou – and was slammed by some Liverpool fans for celebrating his goal.
But RT guest pundit Jose Mourinho was among those to defend the striker, saying it showed his “incredible attitude.”
Also on rt.com ‘Incredible attitude’: Mourinho praises Suarez for celebrating goal against Liverpool (VIDEO)Ahead of tonight’s game, Suarez has said he expects more cheers than boos from the Anfield faithful who used to adore him.
He’s also said he definitely WON’T celebrate if he finds the net, vowing:
"I have all the respect in the world for the Liverpool fans. Because I scored and celebrated with my fans, I say sorry.
"Obviously, it is clear that if I score a goal against Liverpool [at Anfield] I won't celebrate it in the same way."
We’ll see how that goes for him…
SO YOU’RE TELLING ME THERE’S A CHANCE?
Liverpool are no strangers to epic Champions League comebacks, having famously overturned a 3-0 half-time deficit against AC Milan to win the 2005 final in the ‘Miracle of Istanbul’.
There’s been plenty of talk about that – and some other big comebacks down the years – ahead of tonight’s game.
If you fancy a look at our Top 5 Champions League comebacks, you can check those out here:
READ MORE: Mission impossible? 5 classic Champions League comebacks as Liverpool aim to shock Barca
But the reality is that tonight’s chances are very, very slim for Liverpool, not least with Salah and Firmino ruled out.
Barcelona have also won both their previous Champions League visits to Anfield.
The home fans won’t stop believing, of course, but it would be footballing miracle arguably bigger than Istanbul if they could pull it off.
TEAM NEWS
Ahead of kick-off in around 45 minutes’ time, let’s get some team news for you.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is deprived of two of his famous attacking trident, as Roberto Firmino is still struggling with the groin injury that meant he couldn’t start the first leg at Camp Nou, while Mo Salah suffered concussion in the Premier League game at Newcastle on Saturday, so is also ruled out.
Klopp has brought in Xherdan Shaqiri and Divock Origi in place of his missing stars – who both combined to score the winner at Newcastle over the weekend.
Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde made 11 changes for the La Liga clash at Celta Vigo at the weekend, which his team lost 2-0.
But it’s a much more familiar line-up tonight, with that man Messi leading a team which contains Liverpool returnees Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho (more on them in a moment…)
It’s like for like with the formations, with both teams lining up 4-3-3 (on paper, at least).
WELCOME!
Hello and a very warm welcome to our live updates as Liverpool meet Barcelona in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final clash at Anfield!
A reminder that the Reds have it all to do after that 3-0 defeat a week ago in Spain, thanks to goals from former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez and double from the inspired Lionel Messi.
But there have been some famous nights at Anfield down the years – can this be another of them? Stay with us to find out!