Liverpool vs Barcelona: Liverpool
employees at Dragao have already been distracted by the events in
Manchester City, who thoughtlessly informed each other about the
updates. You could not help but be distracted by how noisy that match
against Tottenham was, but its consequences actually changed the whole
dynamic around the semi-finals of Liverpool.
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We know, of course, that Barcelona has
always considered the Champions League their absolute priority this
season. But should it be now, as Liverpool looks at it too? The emphasis
on the race for the title and its pressure led to the fact that in
their European matches there was more psychological freedom; that they
were just in the evenings, not big days.
Now it can change even subconsciously
because of the sudden threat of ending such a sensational season with
nothing. The problem is that when confident Jürgen Klopp talked
carelessly in Porto about playing for both main trophies, it was when
there was still a lot more leagues to play for. There was also an
unexpected possibility that the City would be frustrated due to the
exclusion of the Spurs, and possibly lose more points in the league.
This did not happen in the least.
City became the winner and became the
winner in the three most difficult remaining matches of five after
Tottenham, so most likely Liverpool now has the most difficult match in
Newcastle United by Rafa Benitez. The glorious promise of their season
now actually makes it all rather unreliable. Next week they will be able
to see how they reach the Champions League final, and then finally win
the Premier League for five days at Enfield. Or he could very quickly
see that in the end nothing will come out, because the title race has
become more loaded against them. They lack the capacity for the City to
make the mistake they need.
A year after Bavaria defeated Barcelona,
Tito Vilanova 7-0, told me furiously that the fundamental difference
between the parties was that he and his teammates were exhausted and not
in the best physical shape. and the Bavarians just flew in terms of
pace, stamina and freshness. I was dubious; the problems seemed deeper.
But only two seasons later, the Barça’s buzzing squad, which had not
changed much, but was much more energetic after Luis Enrique turned his
first XI heavily for many months, rather clinically sent the side of
Bayern Pep Guardiola into what was epic Champions League semi-finals on
the way to Barcelona second triple.
This lesson seems key. If Barça is fresh,
not exhausted, then Liverpool is an outsider. Otherwise, it is the
opposite. Although Valverde undoubtedly reduced the number of minutes of
his vital, slightly older staff, was that enough? If Messi fulfills her
promise to return the European Cup to Camp Nou, there should be a huge
leap forward in intensity, speed, attention to detail, pressure and
completion.
Liverpool, judging by their domestic and
European form, is boiling. Barcelona, if you put in a thermometer,
would show a cool temperature. What Barcelona has achieved by winning
the title both early and with a decent margin, while reaching the
European semi-final plus the Copa del Rey final, is special. So few
clubs have won the triple because it is incredibly difficult; There will
be days when you win by luck, thanks to the rude mistakes of the judges
or, well, in general, when you really don’t know how you did it.
