UEFA Champions League 2018/19: Three reasons for Liverpool's 3-0 loss to Barcelona
Barcelona are half way towards the Madrid showpiece as a Lionel Messi masterclass inspired a 3-0 thumping of Liverpool.
The Catalan skipper struck another brace, including an eye-popping free-kick, after Luis Suarez opened the scoring early on.
The Reds, having made a few changes to the starting XI, were vibrant, creating numerous chances and coming agonizingly close on a few occasions too. But the bulwark that is Marc-Andre Ter Stegan, along with some frustrating misfortunes, contributed to their undoing.
The result leaves Liverpool with an uphill battle at Anfield in six days time, whereas Barcelona's dream of a third treble just received a massive boost.
Here are the three reasons why Liverpool lost:
#1 Liverpool missed Firmino's presence
Roberto Firmino may have found himself eclipsed by Mohamed Salah last year and Sadio Mane this year, but his contributions in the side are indisputable. The Brazilian drifts out wide to let his attacking counterparts drift inside and lays it off on the platter for them.
He is also the chief creator in the attacking third with his intelligent movements and ability to pick out passes, but alas, the Reds sorely missed him in arguably the most important night of their season so far. Firmino sustained a thigh injury at the weekend, and was fit enough only to start on the bench.
Mane and Salah both started as the strikers with Giorginio Wijnaldum operating right off them. This set-up lacked balance as the aforementioned pair struggled to make an impact. Both Mane and Salah had to drift wide at various points for the ball, before straining every sinew to beat their markers and get around the area.
Firmino's impact was all the more evident when he saw his effort cleared just off the line, if only for Salah to have rifled the rebound home rather than slamming it against the upright.
His introduction did make Liverpool more threatening, and maybe he could help salvage something in the second-leg, as it was too late this time around.