Champions League: 5 hits and flops - Barcelona 3-0 Liverpool
Barcelona stretched their unbeaten streak at home in Europe to 32 straight matches, following their thumping 3-0 win over Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final tie.
Despite being not at their best, Barcelona came out on top, courtesy of a brilliant display from their talisman Lionel Messi.
Barcelona broke the deadlock in the 26th minute thorough Suárez, who made no mistake in putting the ball at the back of the net from a beautifully timed Jordi Alba pass.
Barcelona captain Messi scored the all-important second goal in the 75th minute and took the wind away from Liverpool’s sail.
The Argentine then added Barcelona's third in the 82nd minute from a sensational free-kick. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner curled the ball into the top corner with expertise to put the final nail in Liverpool’s coffin.
Liverpool had several chances to score the much important away goal(s) but some wasteful finishing and Marc-André ter Stegen's heroics meant Barcelona managed to keep a clean sheet.
With all that in mind, here is a look at five hits and flops from a memorable evening at the Camp Nou
#5 Hit: Gerard Piqué:
Barcelona rode their luck in the defensive third and struggled at times to pose their authority but they should thank Gerard Piqué for helping them keep a clean sheet.
The 32-year-old was at the pick of his prowess as he shaked off several attempts from Liverpool’s attackers. Piqué was on hand to make eight clearances, three tackles and two interceptions. The way he organized the defensive line for Barcelona and scrapped off several loose balls was truly admirable.
Pique bossed the defense throughout the course of 90 minutes and his distribution from the back helped Barcelona to build attacks from the back.