Gary Lineker took to Twitter to offer his reaction to Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday evening.
The Reds were well beaten by the Spanish side at the Nou Camp and must overturn the three-goal deficit in the second leg at Anfield if they are to reach the final.
Former Liverpool forward Luis Suarez put Barca in the lead in the 26th minute, and Lionel Messi doubled the advantage for the visiting team on 75 minutes.
The Argentina international made it 3-0 to the home side in the 82nd minute with a world-class free kick.
Lineker, who played for Barcelona during his career, revelled in Messi’s heroics as well as praising Liverpool for their performance in the second half.
The ex-England international also sent a message to Reds fans who did not take kindly to him lauding his former club.
Liverpool have been excellent in the second half but where there’s Messi there’s danger.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) May 1, 2019
WOW! Just Wow. Messi scores his 600th goal for @FCBarcelona with as good a freekick as you’ll ever see. The little genius defies logic.??
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) May 1, 2019
Seem to have upset a few @LFC fans by celebrating greatness last night. Admittedly it was a bit cringe, but as a former player who loves @FCBarcelona I make no apologies for dancing to the diminutive Dios. ??
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) May 2, 2019
Are Liverpool’s Champions League final hopes over?
Liverpool did play well against Barcelona, especially in the second half, but the Spanish giants had a certain Messi who stepped up late in the game.
The free kick that the Argentine scored was simply unstoppable, and the Reds are going to find it extremely tough to score at least three goals against Ernesto Valverde’s side in the second leg at Anfield next week.
It is also very likely that Barca will score at least one goal, especially with Messi and Suarez in the team, which would virtually kill off the tie.
In that case, Liverpool would be left with only the Premier League to win, as with two more rounds of matches left this season, Jurgen Klopp’s side can still clinch the league title, although Manchester City do have a one-point lead at the top of the table.
