MORIENTES PICKS BARCELONA
Former Liverpool striker goes for La Liga influence
FERNANDO Morientes may be a former Liverpool striker but he is saying things that Liverpool fans won’t be too happy to hear.
Morientes, who is in Kuala Lumpur for the World Football Summit Asia, has picked
Barcelona to beat the Reds in the Champions League semi-finals first leg at the Nou Camp tomorrow.
Perhaps the Spaniard’s analytical mind says so.
However, it’s business too. Senor Morientes, admitted it is also because he is in Malaysia as an ambassador for Spanish league’s La Liga.
One should heed the words of the 43-year-old as he knows what it takes to win the world’s most prestigious club competition, having done so three times with Real Madrid in 1998, 2000 and 2002.
Now, he is just as excited as any Liverpool or Barcelona fans in seeing the two aristocrats of Europe lock horns.
“It’s going to be one of the best matches any fans could want in football,” Morientes told NST
Sport yesterday. “You just look at the attacking talents available on both sides. Salah, Firmino and Mane on one side against Messi, Suarez, Coutinho and Dembele on the other.”
Morientes said while it is hard to separate the two teams in terms of quality, he expects Barca to reach their first Champions League final since 2014.
“Barcelona are having a great season and as ambassador of La Liga, I want to see them do well.
“But at the same time I have warm feelings for Liverpool from my two seasons with them.
“But if I have to choose, I would say it’s Barcelona to go through.”
Morientes donned Liverpool colours from 2005 to 2006 but he did not play in the 2005 Champions League final (Liverpool beat AC Milan) as he was cuptied.
This year, Liverpool beat Porto 6-1 on aggregate in the quarterfinals while Barca also had an relatively easy time in reaching the semi-finals, routing Manchester United 4-0 on aggregate.
The Reds warmed up for tomorrow’s first leg semi-final with a 50 drubbing of Huddersfield on Friday. Barcelona are also in winning mood after they clinched their 26th La Liga crown with a 10 win over Levante at home over the weekend.