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What's the story?
Liverpool and Barcelona will go head to head in an eagerly anticipated UEFA Champions League semi-final this Thursday. As reported by Express, Liverpool's ace left-back Andy Robertson has revealed The Reds' plans to stop the main Barcelona threat, five-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi.
In case you didn't know...
Liverpool is in in a tense race for the English Premier League title with Manchester City, currently, edging them with a two-point lead. Manchester City, however, has a game in hand. Scottish full-back Andrew Robertson has had a big role to play in Jurgen Klopp's marauding Liverpool side, contributing 13 assists so far this season in all competitions.
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Barcelona has been in rampaging form off-late, and steamrolled Manchester United 4-0 on aggregate to reach the Champions League last-four. Lionel Messi has been in imperious form with 45 goals and 16 assists across all competitions. The mercurial 'Messiah' leads the race in the European Golden Boot, UEFA Champions League and La Liga scoring charts.
With a nine-point lead at the top of La Liga and having already booked their place in the Copa del Rey finals, the Catalans are on course to complete a historic treble. Barcelona is already the only major European league side to have won two trebles, and another would further solidify their reputation as one of the greatest club sides to have ever played the beautiful game.
The heart of the matter
Speaking about the upcoming UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg at the Nou Camp, Robertson remarked on the plans to try and stop Messi:
"I don't think you have to prepare any differently from any other game. Of course, you're playing against a better player than you usually would – he's the best player in the world. You can maybe watch clips, although I don't know if that would help! But I think we all need to be prepared because he drifts all over the pitch
The 25-year-old stressed that the team needs to defend as a unit against the Argentine magician, as he can quickly skip past players and roam all around the pitch.
“You watch him, and sometimes he's back in the centre-half spot, picking up the ball from deep, so he'll start on the right but I'm prepared for him not to stay out there. I know he'll be running at us at times, and it's all about how we defend it.”
What's next?
Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde would be keen to wrap up the La Liga title this weekend itself. The Blaugrana face off against Levante on Saturday before going up against Liverpool in the first leg on Wednesday night at the Nou Camp.
