'I would bet on Liverpool in the tie against Barcelona'- Former Liverpool star explains why Jurgen Klopp's men are favourites
What's the story?
Former Liverpool player Josemi has claimed that Jurgen Klopp's men will start as favourites against Barcelona in the upcoming Champions League semi-finals.
In case you didn't know...
Barcelona won their eighth LaLiga of the past 11 years, following their win against Levante last weekend. The Blaugrana are in the finals of the Copa Del Rey, which means that they will be eyeing another historic treble win.
Liverpool are still fighting for the Premier League title with just two games remaining in the league. The Reds sit second in the league table, just one point behind leaders Manchester City.
While Liverpool reached the Champions League final last year, Barcelona have failed to reach the semi-final stages in the last three seasons. The Reds defeated Bayern Munich and Porto in the knockout rounds, while the Catalan giants knocked out Lyon and Manchester United to reach the semi-finals. The Blaugrana's captain, Lionel Messi, remains the top scorer in the current campaign with 10 goals.
Both sides will meet each other twice in a span of 10 days in the two legged semi-final fixtures of the Champions League.
Meanwhile, Josemi went to Liverpool in 2004 after his tenure with Malaga, but joined Villareal after just one season at Anfield.
The heart of the matter
The former Liverpool player, Josemi, explained why Liverpool have the edge in the crucial clash.
Speaking to Radio Marca, Josemi said:
"In this tie I will be with Liverpool, as I believe that they can take an advantage [in the first game] for the return leg."
"Having [Lionel] Messi can help a team to win, but Liverpool's high pressure can hurt Barcelona, [although] it's going to be very close."
"I think this Liverpool is nothing like the one I played in, as the current one is much more powerful than the one I experienced."
"They have a very balanced squad and they have improved compared to last year."
What's next?
Liverpool travel to the Camp Nou for the opening leg against the LaLiga champions on Wednesday.