Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said the Reds’ victory over Barcelona was unbelievable, and that he was “overwhelmed” after witnessing his side pull off the biggest Champions League semi-final comeback to beat Barcelona 4-3 on aggregate.

Georginio Wijnaldum and Divock Origi recorded individual brace to hand Liverpool victory in a pulsating match having lost the first leg 3-0 at the Nou Camp last week.

“The whole game was too much. It was overwhelming. We played against maybe the best team in world. Winning is difficult but winning with a clean sheet, I don’t know they did it. It’s unbelievable,” Jurgen Klopp told BT Sport.

“I saw James Milner crying on the pitch after the game. It means so much to all of us. It’s the best phase of football. There are more important things in the world. But creating this emotional atmosphere together is so special. It’s all about the players.

“The mix of potential and unbelievable heart is just a mix I never saw before. You have to be confident in a game like this. Divock and Shaq didn’t play a lot. Putting a performance in like that, it was so important. It shows what’s possible in football. It’s so nice. It’s really nice.

“We had to be serious. But we needed to be cheeky as well. It was necessary. Barcelona defend predictable things well. But you need to be unpredictable at moments. I saw the ball flying in the goal, I didn’t see the corner. I didn’t see who took the corner. Ben Woodburn said ‘what happened?’”

Photo Credit: Liverpool FC

Liverpool shot to the lead through Divock Origi after just 7 minutes of the match, and Barcelona have been able to keep the scoreline at 1-0.

The Reds have set the tempo and their intensity has proven hugely hard to cope with, pressing Barcelona all over the pitch in the opening 45 minutes.

A mistake by Jordi Alba enabled Liverpool to get the ball into the penalty area from the right flank, where Jordan Henderson took possession. He beat a defender and shot low and hard, bringing a good save out of Ter Stegen. The Barcelona goalkeeper couldn’t prevent the ball from rebounding to the feet of Divock Origi, who had the simple task of slotting into an empty net.

Ernesto Valverde’s side managed to stem the flow of early Liverpool attacks and should perhaps be heading into the interval on level terms. It has been a thoroughly absorbing contest that leaves the tie on a knife-edge. As good as the Reds have been, a goal for the visitors would all but end their hopes of a place in the final.

Barcelona remain a threat on the break, with Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho both forcing saves from Alisson.

Crucially, Leo Messi has been very quiet tonight, but then he was fairly quiet for the first half of last week’s first leg too. Liverpool can’t afford to take their eyes off him for a second.

Photo Credit: Liverpool FC

Reports in England say Liverpool supporters set off fireworks outside Barcelona’s team hotel ahead of their Champions League semi-final clash on Tuesday night.

The Reds face a mammoth task to overturn a 3-0 deficit after suffering a heavy defeat in the Nou Camp last week, but it appears fans have taken matters into their own hands to help find any possible advantage.

A video has emerged on social media of fans setting off fireworks opposite the Hilton hotel in Liverpool city centre last night.

According to the Daily Mail, the fireworks were set off outside the hotel building at Chavasse Park shortly after 4am, and one fan can be heard describing the noise as ‘a wake up call for Mr Messi’.

Another image from the same social media account appeared to show the fireworks in the back of a car before they were set off.

Barcelona are staying at the four-star Hilton, which sits directly opposite Albert Dock on the river Mersey.

Merseyside police confirmed it is illegal to set off fireworks in a public place and between 11pm and 7am – except for certain nights during the year.

A statement from Merseyside Police read: ‘We can confirm a report was received of fireworks being set off at Chavasse Park in Liverpool city centre shortly after 4am today (Tuesday 7 May 2019).

‘It is against the law to carry or use adult fireworks if you are under 18, and illegal for people of any age to let off or throw a firework in a public place.’

Barcelona have brought with them a huge travelling entourage of 160 people, all of whom are unlikely to have had a comfortable night’s sleep.

Reds fans are not the only semi-finalists adopt underhand tactics to gain an advantage in the Champions League this season; Ajax fans have set off pyrotechnics outside their opponents’ hotels in both the round of 16 and the quarter finals in Amsterdam.

Those stunts appeared to pay off as the Dutch high-flyers went on to knock out heavyweights Real Madrid and Juventus to reach the last four.

Liverpool will need a miracle on a par with their win over AC Milan in the 2005 Istanbul final if they hope to progress to this year’s showpiece event in Madrid.

Tiemoue Bakayoko has denied reports that he had touchline spat with his boss Gennaro Gattuso, insisting he did not refuse to come on against Bologna.

Milan beat Bologna 2-1 to close the gap on fourth-placed Atalanta to three points in the Serie A table, but the match was overshadowed by an incident in the first half, which saw Bakayoko seemingly disobey Gennaro Gattuso’s orders.

However, the Chelsea loanee later clarified on Instagram: “I don’t agree with being considered as a player who refuses to enter the field when his Coach asks him to and who doesn’t respect his club and teammates.

“I was asked to get ready in case there was a change, so I prepared myself immediately and went to warm up for a maximum of 2-3 minutes, then I was asked to sit back on the bench.

“I think it was between 23 and 26 minutes, and it was when I was sitting on the bench that the Coach spoke to me unexpectedly and I did nothing but repeat his words. Nothing more.

“Things are clear: I never refused to enter the field. It seems to me that the images speak for themselves.

“I had only one wish, to enter the field and help my teammates like I always have and will do until the end of the season. Forza Milan.”

Barcelona striker Luis Suarez has promised his former club Liverpool that he will not to celebrate against them if he scores in the Champions League second leg showdown at Anfield.

The Uruguayan is expected feature in the all-important encounter against Liverpool, the club he left in 2014.

The 32-year-old failed to contain his emotions last week at the Nou Camp after breaking the deadlock against the Reds in the Champions League semi-final first leg.

Speaking ahead of the clash in Merseyside, he said: “Celebrating the goal? Everyone who football knows the importance of the goal I scored last week.

“I have all the respect in the world for Liverpool’s fans. I’m very thankful to them. If I score a goal here, I won’t celebrate it in the same way.

“I say sorry (if anyone was offended) but the Liverpool fans would applaud me. I am very thankful to Liverpool to the fans and the club and it is clear if I score a goal against Liverpool I won’t celebrate it.

“I am thankful for Liverpool. I think I was here for three and a half years and the team had been four or five years without being in the Champions League.”

Before adding: “I think there will be more applause than whistles and I think if people want to whistle and that makes them happy… there may be quite a few who are not happy but I think there will be more who are happy and grateful.”

Photo Credit: fcbarcelona.com

Gennaro Gattuso has vowed deal with the Tiemoue Bakayoko row behind closed doors “using my language, which I can’t do on TV”.

The Frenchman who has been quite valuable this season for the Rossoneri reportedly refused to come on during Monday’s 2-1 win over Bologna adding to what has been a fractured relationship over the past few weeks.

It was a tense week already, as the squad went into a five-day training retreat to prepare for this game, largely because Bakayoko turned up an hour late to training because he ran out of petrol.

In the opening minutes, Gattuso asked Bakayoko to warm up after a Lucas Biglia injury, but he was so slow that the Coach called up Jose Mauri instead and the two men exchanged clear insults on the touchline.

“What happens is our business and it happens in our dressing room. I asked Bakayoko to get ready, he took a while, so I called up Jose Mauri,” the Coach told Sky Sport Italia.

“We wear a prestigious jersey, I have to be clear and honest. I waited seven or eight minutes and he hadn’t even put his shin-pads on. I’ve told many Coaches to get stuffed in my career, it ended there. We’ll see, it’s all about respect.

“The players can say anything to me, but the main thing is that they don’t lack respect for their teammates and the dressing room atmosphere.

“We have other priorities right now. We’ll see at the end of the season, like a school report, who behaved well and badly. Anyone can insult me on the touchline, but we’ll meet in a room eye-to-eye and see.

“I want to sort this out in the dressing room and talk in my language, which I cannot do on television. So we have to focus on the victory and not waste time on other issues.”

Manchester City are reportedly in advanced talks to hijack the transfer of £90million United target Bruno Fernandes.

Pep Guardiola and Co are thought to be in the driving seat to sign the highly-rated Sporting star after a recent discussion with agent Jorge Mendes, reports The Sun.

City believe the 24-year-old can be the successor to Fernandinho, who turned 34 at the weekend and is about to enter the final year of his contract, at the base of Pep Guardiola’s midfield.

Fernandes has been one of Portugal’s best emerging talents in recent seasons and was of interest to the likes of Atletico Madrid and West Ham last summer.

Fernandes has been in incredible form this season, scoring 31 goals and adding 17 assists in the league.

His sensational showing this season had United chasing his signature this summer.

But Goal are now claiming “noisy neighbours” City are in pole position for the Portuguese star’s signature.

City and Sporting have called in super-agent Mendes to help broker a deal – although he is not Fernandes’ representative at this time.

The Primeira Liga side are hoping to rake-in £90m for the deal.

However, Guardiola is hoping to tempt Sporting into selling their prized asset for closer to £50m – plus the promise of two City stars, either on loan or on permanent deals.

Eliaquim Mangala, Aleix Garcia, Douglas Luiz and Marlos Moreno are thought to be four of the players potentially moving the other way.

And Mendes is said to have met City’s sporting director Txiki Begiristain on a number of occasions to negotiate the terms of a summer deal.

Sporting’s director, former Newcastle star Hugo Viana, is also thought to have been present for at least one of those meetings.

Meanwhile, City star and fellow Portugal ace Bernardo Silva has called Fernandes a “great player”.

Silva added: “He has had a fantastic season with many goals, many assists that are not normal for a player of his position.

“He has the best numbers and we’ll see what happens at the end of the season.

“He is a player who can play in other championships.”

Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde has assured the club’s fans that his stars will deal with the famous atmosphere at Anfield as his players got an early look at the stadium during training on Monday night.

Liverpool go into the semi-final showdown as huge underdogs having walked away from the first leg last week on the wrong end of a 3-0 scoreline.

But for Valverde, Lionel Messi and Co have been to both Old Trafford and the San Siro in this season’s Champions League campaign and the Barcelona boss has no worries that his stars can handle the occasion on Merseyside, reports the Daily Mail.
‘We need to ignore the first leg, it would be an error otherwise,’ Valverde told reporters.

‘The fans at Anfield generate a lot of noise and passion.

‘We’ve played well at big stadiums like Old Trafford and the San Siro this season so we can cope with the pressure.’

Anfield has become a notoriously difficult place for rival teams to visit with Liverpool not suffering defeat domestically at home all season.

The famous atmosphere on European nights – games against Borussia Dortmund and Olympiacos are often cited as examples of the crowd’s impact – makes matches a spectacular occasion, helping roar Liverpool on to get big results.

A first-leg brace from Messi and another from former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez leaves the Reds’ hopes of reaching the final on June 1 hanging by a thread.

For Valverde, writing Liverpool off would be foolish having had their own experience of defying the odds against Paris Saint-Germain two seasons ago.

Barcelona were 4-0 down following a dreadful first-leg in Paris but produced one of the great comebacks in European Cup history with a 6-1 win back at home – an example Liverpool can draw motivation from ahead of Tuesday’s meeting at Anfield.

The Barcelona boss added: ‘You can change one player and lose 3-0 so who knows?’

‘We’ve played well at big stadiums like Old Trafford and the San Siro this season so we can cope with the pressure.’

‘Nothing in football is written, you’ve got to go out on the pitch and do it. We played against PSG and got six.’

Photo Credit: fcbarcelona.com

Reports in Italy claim AC Milan may not be signing loan star Tiemoue Bakayoko on a permanent basis from Chelsea after he seemed to refuse to come off the bench against Bologna.

The midfielder who has been quite valuable this season for the Rossoneri reportedly refused to come on during Monday’s 2-1 win over Bologna adding to what has been a fractured relationship over the past few weeks.

The midfielder was dropped from the starting XI just days after he arrived an hour late to training because his car had run out of petrol.

The whole squad went into a five-day training retreat to prepare for Monday’s Serie A match.

Football Italia reports that when Lucas Biglia picked up an injury 25 minutes in, Gennaro Gattuso asked Bakayoko to warm up, but he did so in a very sluggish and half-hearted fashion.

According to the Sky Sport Italia touchline reporter – and some of it was caught on camera – Gattuso asked Bakayoko if he was ready to come on and the midfielder said no.

At this point, the pair exchanged insults, with Bakayoko telling his Coach to “**** off” as he sat back down on the bench.

As Bakayoko is only on loan from Chelsea, it is now extremely unlikely Milan will take up their option to purchase him outright.

Photo Credit: Sky Sports

Reports have revealed the outcome of the meeting between Real Madrid outcast Gareth Bale and the club’s boss amid uncertainty surrounding the future of the Welshman at the Bernabeu.

Bale was reportedly told he is not wanted at Real Madrid in a face-to-face meeting with coach Zinedine Zidane, but he remains adamant that he wants to stay at the club.

According to the Daily Mail, the 29-year-old was called into coach Zidane’s office at the club’s Valdebebas training ground last week for a one-to-one meeting.

The newspaper adds that the exchange was brief and frosty with Bale hearing nothing he did not already know – that relations with Zidane have not improved since the last time the French coach was at the club.

Bale was left out of Sunday’s home game against Villarreal and does not expect to be involved in the remaining two fixtures of the season.

He communicated to his manager that he wants to stay to fight for his place next season and the stalemate is now likely to carry on into the summer as Madrid try to bring in Chelsea’s Eden Hazard, Manchester United’s Paul Pogba and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Luka Jovic.

Bale and Zidane fell out last season when the Wales international returned from injury in the last few weeks of the season and felt he had played his way back into the team for the Champions League final against Liverpool.