Champions League: Jurgen Klopp heaps praise on 'unstoppable' Lionel Messi after Barcelona's 3-0 win last night 

Lionel Messi ran riot as Barca defeated Liverpool at Camp Nou

What's the story?

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has hailed Barcelona star Lionel Messi, claiming that there is no defending against that free-kick which gave the Catalan giants a 3-0 victory last night.

In case you didn't know...

Despite Liverpool's tremendous efforts, Barcelona emerged victorious in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final clash at the Camp Nou last night. A goal from Luis Suarez and a brace from Messi gave the Catalan giants a 3-0 advantage in the first leg.

Former Liverpool ace Suarez opened the scoring in the 26th minute after receiving a sensational pass from Jordi Alba. Liverpool gave a strong reply in the second half but Messi's brace in the span of 10 minutes took the game away from the Reds.

Messi scored a tap-in in the 75th minute and scored a majestic free-kick a few minutes later to score his 600th goal in his Barca career. The two goals against Liverpool took his tally to 12 goals in the Champions League this season.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner also leads the race for the European Golden Shoe with 34 league goals. The Argentine genius has racked up 48 goals in all competition this season and remains one of the highest assist providers in Europe.

The heart of the matter

The 31-year-old Argentine's impact on the pitch remains second to none and Klopp was quick to heap praise on Messi after his exploits last night.

Speaking in the post-match conference, Klopp said:

"Messi? He is unstoppable because it is impossible to defend that free-kick."

"Maybe the [finish to make it] 2-0 was not his best goal but it shows that he knows that he is in the right place; I am a great admirer of him, but we have defended him well."

"It is very difficult to play against Barcelona, but if you look at the result, Mr. [Ernesto] Valverde has done everything right and I have done everything wrong."

Lionel Messi was called "unstoppable" by Jurgen Klopp after the Barcelona forward scored twice in a 3-0 Champions League semi-final first-leg win over Liverpool.“Obviously we couldn't defend the free-kick. What a strike. He's a world-class player.”https://t.co/ySFiYSZBU6

— Anfield HQ (@AnfieldHQ) May 1, 2019

What's next?

Liverpool are still a point behind leaders Manchester City in the Premier League. The Reds will face Newcastle before they host Barcelona at Anfield for the second leg.