Steven Gerrard believes Liverpool can open the door to a second Champions League title in three years by shutting down Barcelona at Anfield on Tuesday night.
A memorable 2-1 win in the Nou Camp a fortnight ago has left the 2005 champions as favourites to progress to the quarterfinals of this year’s tournament at the expense of the holders.
Gerrard knows the first-leg result has enhanced Liverpool’s status among the rest of Europe’s elite but he has also reminded his teammates of the torrid opening half-hour they endured in Catalonia, when Frank Rijkaard’s side could possibly have put the tie beyond reach.
”Our performance over there has probably sent a message around Europe,” Gerrard said. ”People were expecting Barcelona to walk all over us but we got our game plan and tactics spot on and got a great result.
”But they showed in the first half-hour how good they are and we know we need to show the same work ethic we showed over there. They’re not going to let their crown go without a battle.”
That was a sentiment echoed by Ronaldinho, who has a point to prove at Anfield after the latest in a string of underwhelming performances in the first leg.
”The danger for Liverpool is if they think they have already done the hard work by winning in Spain,” the Brazilian said.
”We know very well we have to get a result but there is plenty of life left in us.
”We’ve been in difficult positions in the past and come out victorious. We are the defending European champions and we will not relinquish the trophy without a fight.”
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez won the tactical battle in the first leg by deploying two strikers, having correctly judged that the Spanish champions would find Dirk Kuyt’s physical strength hard to handle while being stretched by the pace of Craig Bellamy.
”People were expecting us to be camped on our 18-yard box but the manager told us to be positive,” Gerrard recalled.
”Before the game we’d have taken a draw so to have won is a massive bonus and it sets things up nicely.”
Both clubs will go into the match on the back of domestic defeats on the weekend, Liverpool having been beaten 1-0 at home by Manchester United while Barca were knocked off the top of Spanish league courtesy of a 2-1 reverse at Sevilla.
The difference was that while Liverpool played well and were unfortunate to go down to John O’Shea’s stoppage time strike, the first league goal they had conceded at Anfield since October, Barcelona missed a penalty and had two men sent off in an edgy display that did nothing to dispel the confident mood on Merseyside.
Ronaldinho, who was responsible for the penalty miss, was deployed as a central striker in Seville with Ludovic Giuly and Lionel Messi on the flanks.
But Barca coach Frank Rijkaard looks set to recall Samuel Eto’o to his starting XI on Tuesday in the hope that the Cameroon striker’s pace can unsettle Liverpool’s centre-back pair, Jamie Carragher and Daniel Agger. — Sapa-AFP