Match Report: Wednesday 21/02/2007 20:45 (GMT +1): UEFA Champions League - Quarterfinal, First Leg


FC BARCELONA - LIVERPOOL FC 1:2 (1:1)
Camp Nou, Barcelona – Capacity: 94.000

Referee: Kyros Vassaras


Goals:
1-0 Deco 14´

1-1 Bellamy 43´
1-2 Riise 74´


FC Barcelona (4-3-3): Valdes - Belletti, Marquez, Puyol, Zambrotta - Motta (Iniesta 54´), Deco, Xavi (Giuly 65´) - Messi, Saviola (Gudjohnsen 82´), Ronaldinho - Manager: Frank Rijkaard


Liverpool FC (4-4-2): Reina – Arbeloa, Carragher, Agger, Riise – Finnan, Gerrard, Sissoko (Zenden 84´), Alonso – Bellamy (Pennant 80´), Kuyt (Crouch 94´) - Manager: Rafael Benitez


Match Report:

FC Barcelona lost 2-1 to Liverpool despite having a perfect start into the game and taking lead just after 14 minutes, when Deco headed the ball into the Red´s net. Welsh forward Craig Bellamy equalised also with a header just two minutes before half-time. Norwegian John Arne Riise fired the winner under the roof of the Barca on 74 minutes.
The second leg will be played in two weeks at Anfield and Barca knows that they have a huge mountain to climb.


It was a great night of football, but you were disappointed if you are a Barca fan. Barca had the perfect start. The team was going out to look for an early goal and got it already after only 14 minutes when Deco headed home a superb Zambrotta cross. After this, Liverpool was in great danger to concede another goal but several other opportunities could not be converted. Barca was roaring and going forward to push for a second and probably decisive goal but were punished excessively when Liverpool took advantage of two defence errors.


As opredicted, Barca entered the pitch with an attacking-minded starting-lineup. Messi and Saviola all started and as a surprise Brazilian European Cup hero Belletti aswell on the right full back position. Marquez was back in the defence line with Motta getting the nod to anchor the midfield.

Barca was passing the ball around and Messi causing the most trouble with his technical skilled runs. It was Messi and Saviola who had the first chances before Deco headed the ball just inside the far post after a superb Zambrotta cross. 1-0 up for Barca and it looked like more to come! Zambrotta and the argentine duo, Saviola and Messi, combined well together and the Liverpool defenders Riise and Agger looked to be in deep trouble. But the luck was not on Barca´s side.


In the first half, Liverpool had no answer to the passing game, but started to oppose Barca physically. The first chance registered for Liverpool was a Bellamy header from tight angle that went straight into the outside of the net. But shortly after came the shock that changed the entire match. Belletti left Bellamy totally unmarked when he headed a Xabi Alonso cross and although Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes was able to stop the ball he was slidding with the ball in his hands over the line. Not worth discussing, if the ball was really fully over the line because the rebound would have easily converted by Dutch forward Dirk Kuyt.


The 1-1 was totally against the run of the game and surely at this stage of the game not deserved, but it shows that any error will be punished on Champions League level.


In the second half, Barca again took control and was focused but the goal seemed to have given Liverpool a psychological boost, that they can come out of this game with a result. The forward pair, Bellamy and Kuyt, were more active but Barca captain Puyol and Mexican Marquez looked to have everything under control. while Barca was trying to outplay Liverpool, the Red´s were trying to surprise the Blaugrana with long deep balls to their fast and hard working forwards.
Rijkaard took a tactical decision to bring on andres Iniesta for Motta, clearly a sign that Barca did not want to settle for a draw. Despite Barca´s dominace the chances were very rare.

Rijkaard took the consequences and brought on winger Giuly for midfielder Xavi after 64 minutes to pile even more pressure on Liverpool. Barca were out to win this leg, but all winning intentions tragically fired back.


While Barca pushed forward the wholes in the Barca defence got bigger. Liverpool now had their own opportunities to score. A Gerrad freekick inside the penalty area and great header opportunity by Kuyt could had put them in the lead. Barca´s reaction did not last too long. Messi, with a golden opportunity as well as Saviola one-on-one with reina should have scored the goals and decided the match.


But it all came different when Bellamy took advantage of bad defending inside the penalty area and provided Riise to fire the ball home for the 2-1 lead in the 73rd minute.


The Camp Nou crowed was left stunned by disbelief.


The last 15 minutes Barca played more with their hearts than their heads and litterally with 10 men, due to the fact that Belletti could only limp over the pitch after a Zenden tackle. Belletti could not be substituted because just seconds before Rijkaard brought on Gudjohnsen for Saviola, as the third substitute. Barca tried hard but the luck was just not on the Blaugrana´s side. In the last seconds of the game, a superb Deco free-kick hit the Liverpool post but the equalizer was not to happen on this great but frustrating football night.


My Comment:
It was a great football night but frustrating for a Barca fan. After the 1-0 and an impressive performance up to the last minutes of the first half there was no way Barca could lose this game and I hope they would get a result good enough to proceed to the next round. The equalizer came out of nowhere (except a thight angled Bellamy header) but surely was not deserved at this stage of the game.


The defence errors are shocking to me and unfortunately get punished right away.


All in all, as Barca fans we should forget this football night as quick as possible. Barca has to travel to legendary Anfield, where the team has to score at least two goals and nothing else but a win counts.


Barca has a huge mountain to climb, while Liverpool holds pole position. No question about this!


But Barca would not be Barca, if they would not be capable of turning things around. yesterday night, I might have been stunned by disbelief, but today the world already looks better for me:


1. Why should Barca not be capable of getting a similar result at anfield than Liverpool at Camp Nou? they can do it, so we can do it!


2. Why should history not repeat itself? The last time Barca played at anfield, the team won 3-1, just exactly the result we need.


Visca el Barca!