In arguably the most-anticipated clash of this year's UEFA Champions League, hosts Barcelona face Liverpool in the first leg of the semi-final on May 1.
When is the match and how to watch it live
This high-voltage contest between the English side Liverpool and Spanish giants Barcelona will kick-off at 9 PM local time and 12:30 AM IST (Thursday).
Live coverage of the match on television will be provided by Sony Ten 2 and Sony Ten 2 HD in India. Sony LIV will be the online platform for live streaming of this contest.
Barcelona vs Liverpool preview
Many argue that the two teams facing off in this match should have contesting for the trophy in the final itself. But due to the formation of the draw, one of these two powerful sides will get eliminated. Both teams have been in good form. While Barcelona clinched the La Liga title recently by vanquishing Levante, Liverpool have been locked in a close fight with Manchester City for the English Premier League trophy.
What makes this match interesting is the strong defence that the two outfits possess. For the Reds, the presence of highly-able defenders such as Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba and Clement Lenglet makes them one of the strongest defensive units going around.
They would, though, in this match have to face repeated onslaughts from Mohammed Salah on the right and Sadio Mane from the left. The central thrust might be provided by Roberto Firmino, though there hangs a cloud of injury upon him.
The Reds too have a solid back line with services being provided by Virgil Van Dijk and Joel Matip. The presence of these two is crucial for the English side as railed against them is the irrepressible Lionel Messi. The Argentinian striker is a massive threat even in normal circumstances but presently there is the added motivation of equalling his great rival Christiano Ronaldo's record of Champions League victories with his team. Real Madrid have won this title for the last three years and it can easily be assumed that Barcelona players aren't thrilled about it.
The home advantage would be a crucial factor in this contest since the Catalan side have not lost a home Champions League match for 31 games running – a record in itself. However, their star player Messi is yet to open his account against Liverpool in Champions League encounters. This would be as good a time as any to start.
Probable XIs
Barcelona: Marc Andre Ter Stegen; Sergi Roberto, Gerard Pique, Clement Lenglet, Jordi Alba; Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic, Arthur Melo; Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Phillipe Coutinho
Liverpool: Allison Becker; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joel Matip, Virgil Van Dijk, Andrew Robertson; Georginio Wijnaldom, Jordan Henderson, Fabinho; Mohammed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino
Global TV Listings
- USA: TNT
- Canada: DAZN
- UK: BT Sport
- Italy: Sky Sport Italia
- Germany: Sky Deutschland
- France: RMC Sport
- Spain: Movistar
- Portugal: Eleven Sports
