Soccer can be the cruelest of mistresses and provide moments of ecstasy.
Liverpool is experiencing the latter and Barcelona is going through the former. Considering the Reds overturned a 3-0 deficit from the first leg without Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino to eliminate Barca – the bookies’ favourites to win the UEFA Champions League – it’s easy to understand why.
For the second year in a row, Liverpool will be playing in the final. For the second year in a row, Barcelona crash out of Europe after coughing up a three-goal lead on aggregate. For the second year in a row, Barca manager Ernesto Valverde will be under intense scrutiny. For now, Liverpool fans should enjoy the moment.
Here are four takeaways from a wild second-leg semifinal at Anfield om Tuesday.
Unsung heroes deliver for Liverpool
In what was a forced change, Georginio Wijnaldum ended up transforming the complexion of the matchup, and a bit-part player at Liverpool finished it off.
After replacing the injured Andy Robertson, Wijnaldum completed a two-minute brace at the start of the second half to pull Liverpool level on aggregate. It wasn’t the first marquee game he’s scored in, either.
Gigi Wijnaldum has scored goals for Liverpool against:
Barcelona (2)
Tottenham
Man City
Chelsea
Arsenal
RomaBIG GAME GINI pic.twitter.com/ZSMKWMASJQ
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) May 7, 2019
Divock Origi, meanwhile, equalled his goal tally from last year at Wolfsburg, despite playing in just 18 matches this season. The majority of those goals turned out to be crucial winners for his club, too.
Liverpool may not have the strength in depth that Manchester City boasts, but their substitutes have definitely been effective when called upon.
The king returns
There was a time when Arturo “El Rey” Vidal was one of the most complete midfielders in the world. He helped Chile win back-to-back Copa America titles and guided Juventus to multiple Serie A championships in his prime. Then injuries took their toll on the Chilean and he was not as effective.
However, if there was ever a time for him to turn back the clock, it was on Wednesday at Anfield. Vidal was everywhere and that’s what Barcelona needed. He was the only midfielder with athleticism and stamina who could keep up with Liverpool’s frantic pace.
In total, Vidal completed six tackles and won nine of his 13 duels. If it wasn’t for him, Liverpool could’ve a come from behind far earlier than they did.
Full-back roulette
The overall story of the game – for better or worse – were the fullbacks. Sergi Roberto was exploited throughout the 90 minutes at right-back, and Jordi Alba committed two errors that directly led to goals as well.
Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson were both under duress and heavily involved in Liverpool’s build-up play. But their distribution was hurried and it showed.
Considering both sides love to stretch the pitch and have the fullbacks bombing into the final third, this was likely to happen. However, it’s no surprise that the wings were the areas of choice for both coaches to expose.
Valverde under more scrutiny?
The one blemish on Ernesto Valverde’s first campaign as Barcelona manager was a big one. The blown three-goal lead to Roma in the quarterfinals of last season’s Champions League left sour tastes in the mouths of the fans. That’s why it was imperative that he righted the wrongs of 2017-18.
In the end, that didn’t happen and Barcelona have been sent home in dramatic fashion for the fourth season in a row.
https://twitter.com/lmechegaray/status/1125860189939347458
This isn’t necessarily a Valverde problem. It occurred under his predecessor Luis Enrique as well. But back-to-back seasons where a three-goal lead evaporates in the second leg is inexcusable.
Sure, Lionel Messi converts one of those opportunities in the first half and it’s a different match at that stage. Football is cruel in that regard. But the players were docile until Divock Origi’s opener and that’s unforgivable.
A more conservative approach is common under Valverde and it’s been very successful in La Liga. But he should’ve known that Liverpool would be far more intense than usual given the circumstances entering the game.
