UCL Semifinal Barcelona vs Liverpool Odds & Predictions Leg 1

• Spanish giants favored to build on home advantage
• Liverpool have never lost at Camp Nou
• Klopp’s team on nine-game winning streak

Barcelona will be seeking to conquer EPL opposition for the second successive round when they face Liverpool in the Champions League semifinal first leg at Camp Nou on Wednesday, May 1, 2019 at 3:00 pm EST.

After comfortably dealing with Manchester United in the last eight, Barca are rated as favorites at -123 to triumph in the opening meeting with the Anfield team.

Barcelona vs Liverpool Leg 1 Odds

Odds taken April 26, 2019.

Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side are quoted at +320. But they are buoyant just now and may be a worth a chance at the price. The draw at +255 is even more tempting.

Easy Progress From Last Eight

Both teams made untroubled progress through the last eight stage. The Spanish club won 1-0 at Manchester United and then cruised to a 3-0 win in the return match.

While Barcelona have a secure nine-point lead at the top of La Liga and can focus without major distraction on the UCL, it is different for Liverpool.

Liverpool defeated unfancied Porto 2-0 in England and then racked up a resounding 4-1 victory in Portugal.

Barcelona vs Liverpool UCL Stats

Both are also involved in title races.

But while Barcelona have a secure nine-point lead at the top of La Liga and can focus without major distraction on the UCL, it is different for Liverpool.

"Our supporters are clearly loving every moment and, like with us players, I only see joy and belief in them at the moment."

The skipper on the Reds' mentality. ?

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 26, 2019

Fierce EPL Battle With Man City

They are entwined in a fierce and demanding  battle with Manchester City at the top of the EPL. The lead swaps regularly.

As they head into Friday’s match with Huddersfield Town, Liverpool are one point behind City with three fixtures remaining. So they are dealing with hugely competitive situations on two fronts.

The Catalan club are also chasing a repeat of the Treble they achieved in 2008/09 and 2014/15. A place in the final of the Copa del Rey is booked against Valencia on May 25.

In the first leg UCL meeting, Barcelona will rely on the individual brilliance of Lionel Messi and his influential compadres, like the former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez, Ivan Rakitic and another former Liverpool player, Philippe Coutinho.

Reds Will Counter-Attack in Spain

Jurgen Klopp’s side are built more on a team ethic than on individual dazzle.

They have hugely talented players such as Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Bobby Firmino. But their refined and towering centre-back Virgil Van Djik will be their key man in Spain.

Barca will hope to build a significant lead in the first leg because the prospect of visiting the noisy and emotional cauldron of Anfield with the tie in the balance will be a daunting one.

A resilient defensive performance will be required with Liverpool – last season’s defeated finalists – looking to land precious away goals by counter-attacking swiftly.

Big interview … Luis Suárez: 'Any player would like to go to Liverpool now; it was different then. If we’d won the league, I think it would have had been an even bigger achievement than if this team do.' By @sidlowe https://t.co/avmx0rM8PD

— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) April 26, 2019

Barca will hope to build a significant lead in the first leg. The prospect of visiting the noisy and emotional cauldron of Anfield with the tie in the balance will be a daunting one.

Barca Unbeaten Since January 23

The Catalan club have won 15 times and drawn on six occasions in all competitions since they were last beaten at Seville on January 23.

Liverpool have won three times and Barcelona twice, with three matches drawn.

Even more impressively, Liverpool have won their last nine matches in all competitions, with their most recent defeat coming way back on January 7 away at Wolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup.

Barcelona are ready to push through a £100m summer move for Marcus Rashford, according to the papers.

The gossip: https://t.co/BWn9chVeUk pic.twitter.com/Za0qNvn6xv

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 25, 2019

Both Liverpool and Barcelona have won the Champions League (formerly the European Cup) five times. In the period since the English team’s last success in 2005, Barca have triumphed four times. Their most recent win was in 2015.

The teams have met eight times previously in European competition. Liverpool have won three times and Barcelona twice, with three matches drawn.

Previous Success at Anfield for Catalans

Despite Anfield’s fearsome reputation, Barcelona have won on their two most recent visits. They ran out 3-1 winners in a UCL second group stage game in 2001. They won 1-0 in England in the round of 16 in 2007 but had lost the first leg 2-1.

Against that, Liverpool have never lost at Camp Nou – scoring two wins and two draws. They have also twice eliminated Barca in European semifinals, winning in the UEFA Cup in 1975/76 and  2000/01.

Liverpool have conceded nine times, due partly to a rocky spell in the group stage when they were successively beaten 2-0 at Red Star Belgrade and 2-1 at Paris St. Germain.

For all the focus on their mesmerising attacking flair, Barca have conceded only six goals in their 10 Champions League fixtures this season and only once in the knockout stage.

Liverpool have conceded nine times, due partly to a rocky spell in the group stage when they were successively beaten 2-0 at Red Star Belgrade and 2-1 at Paris St. Germain.

Their progress in the knockout phase has been less troubled. Bayern Munich were seen off comfortably in the last 16 with a 3-1 victory in Germany, following a goalless draw in England.

Barcelona hammered Lyon 5-1 in the last 16 second leg after a goalless draw in France.

Pick: Draw (+255)