BLOWN AWAY BY A RED TORNADO
Barca lose all belief as blows rain down
AS THE Barcelona players gathered to restart the game after Gini Wijnaldum drew Liverpool level on aggregate, Luis Suarez stood over the ball in the centre circle with a look of confusion and helpless resignation. It is not a look we usually associate with the former Liverpool player.
Over his left shoulder, hands on hips, stood Lionel Messi, arguably the greatest player the world has ever seen. His demeanour was also not one suggesting Barcelona were about to turn back the tide that was on the verge of washing them straight out of Anfield.
This was another night of tornado football by Jurgen Klopp’s astonishing team and this time even one of the world’s greatest football sides were unable to resist. To watch Messi in the final half an hour of this game was instructive.
We always thought Barcelona would score here. That was why we gave Liverpool such little chance after last week’s misfortune in the Nou Camp left them without an away goal to cling to.
But when the Spanish side really needed it — when they so desperately required the solitary goal that would change the whole direction of the night — the little guy with 600 to his name never came close to providing it.
Messi simply disappeared from this game. And if Liverpool can knock the heart and soul out of Messi — if they can rob him of his competitive instinct — who knows what mark they might be able to leave on European football in years to come.
Messi was presumed to have settled this tie with his performance in Barcelona last week. His two goals skewered Liverpool on a night when they were largely the better team. But as Liverpool took hold of the second leg with two early goals in the second half, he was rendered vulnerable, just like everybody else in yellow.
This is what this Liverpool team can do. This is what makes them so irresistible to watch and so utterly terrifying to play against when their blood is up and the adrenalin of hope starts to flood their veins.
Manchester City are a very good team, probably the best in England. But even they do not sweep teams off the field quite like this. Liverpool are able to remove all belief from an opponent like a boxer who settles a bout with a flurry of quick punches.
A goal down at half- time, Barcelona were not exactly comfortable, but they were very much favourites to go through.
The Spanish champions had settled after Divock Origi’s early goal and created enough chances of their own to suggest something tangible would eventually come their way. But Wijnaldum’s one-two at the start of the second half changed all that.
There were 35 minutes to play when Wijnaldum headed in his second. One Barcelona goal would have left Liverpool needing two more.
However, it is hard to recall a clear opportunity. Barcelona were like drunks at the end of a party by this time, hanging on to the stair rail and desperately hoping they would eventually find the door.
At the final whistle, Messi looked desolate. His trudge towards the tunnel was empty- eyed. He has experienced much in his storied career — a lot of it with Argentina has been disappointing — but absolutely none of it has been anything like this.
Which leaves us to ponder where to place the victory on the list of Anfield’s great European nights.
Those who were there still talk of the night David Fairclough skated across the crusted mud to score the winner against Saint Etienne here in 1977. They will tell you the ground actually shook in this part of Liverpool that night. Meanwhile, those who were at that game and also at the Chelsea semi-final of 2005 suggest the second one topped it for atmosphere. But this game will now surely sit right at the top of the pile.
This was not an emerging French team or a familiar English foe. This was facing Barcelona with a 3-0 handicap to overcome — as staggering a night as English football has ever seen.
Liverpool must win in Madrid to make this count now, of course. Klopp needs a trophy. They will start as favourites against Ajax or Tottenham and will be devilishly hard to stop in this form.
Call it Gegenpress. Call it Heavy Metal Football. Call it what you like. Here at a disbelieving Anfield, Liverpool struck Barcelona with everything they had and it was extraordinary to see.
Pep Guardiola says Liverpool are the media’s favourites. Goodness me, what is there not to like?