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Attendance: 55,212
Liverpool logo
Champions League | Semi-Finals
May 7, 2019 at 8pm UK
 
Barcelona logo

4-0

Origi (7', 79'), Wijnaldum (54', 56')
FT(HT: 1-0)

How Liverpool could line up against Barcelona

Sports Mole looks at how a depleted Liverpool side could line up for the second leg of their Champions League semi-final with Barcelona at Anfield.

Liverpool will need to muster one of their greatest ever European nights at Anfield if they are to reach the final of the Champions League when they host Barcelona on Tuesday night.

The Reds have a 3-0 deficit to make up from the first leg of their semi-final at Camp Nou after Lionel Messi's late heroics took the tie away from last season's beaten finalists.

Liverpool returned to winning ways against Newcastle United at the weekend to ensure that their domestic pursuit of silverware will go down to the wire, but it will take one of football's great comebacks to do the same on the European stage.

Here, Sports Mole looks at how Jurgen Klopp could line his side up for the showdown.



Possible LIV XI vs. BAR

Out: Mohamed Salah (concussion), Roberto Firmino (groin), Naby Keita (adductor)
Doubtful: Adam Lallana (muscle)

> Click here for Liverpool's latest injury and suspension news ahead of this match

As if Liverpool's task was not difficult enough already, they will have to attempt the comeback without two of their front three after both Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino were ruled out of the game by Klopp.

Salah's head injury is thankfully not as serious as first feared when he was stretchered off against Newcastle on Saturday night, but he is nonetheless suffering from concussion and is therefore not available for Tuesday's game.

Firmino, meanwhile, made a substitute appearance in the first leg amid concerns over a groin injury, and that exacerbated the problem with the Brazilian having since been ruled out of both the Newcastle game and this one.

Daniel Sturridge was preferred from the start at the weekend, but Divock Origi's all-important impact off the bench could be enough to earn him a start while Xherdan Shaqiri - who delivered the free kick for the winner - will be hopeful of making his first start since January and only his second of the season in the Champions League.

Liverpool are also without Naby Keita for the remainder of the campaign, and Klopp must decide whether to shuffle his formation to a 4-2-3-1 considering his injury absentees.

Either way there will be a battle for places in the middle of the park. Fabinho has seemingly nailed down the defensive midfield spot, but around him the likes of Georginio Wijnaldum, Jordan Henderson, James Milner and the fit-again Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are all competing for a starting berth.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is expected to start having responded to being left out of the first leg by registering two more assists at the weekend, drawing him level with Andrew Robertson in the friendly full-back competition.

Joel Matip could also come back into the side in place of Dejan Lovren, with his ability to bring the ball out from defence likely to give him the edge over both Lovren and Joe Gomez.

> Click here to see how Barcelona could line up for this fixture

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Roberto Firmino celebrates getting an equaliser during the Premier League game between Manchester City and Liverpool on January 3, 2019
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League Phase

TeamPWDLPTS
1Liverpool440012
2Sporting Lisbon431010
3Brest431010
4Inter Milan431010
5Monaco431010
6Barcelona43019
7Dortmund43019
8Aston Villa43019
9Atalanta42208
10Juventus42117
11Lille42117
12Man City42117
13Arsenal42117
14B. Leverkusen42117
15Celtic42117
16Dinamo Zagreb42117
17AC Milan42026
18Bayern42026
19Benfica42026
20Feyenoord42026
21Real Madrid42026
22Brugge42026
23Atletico42026
24PSV41215
25Sparta Prague41124
26Stuttgart41124
27PSG41124
28Shakhtar41124
29Girona41033
30Salzburg41033
31Bologna40131
32RB Leipzig40040
33Sturm Graz40040
34Young Boys40040
35Red Star40040
36Slovan Bratislava40040


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