OPINION
Charlie Adam has given his opinion ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Barcelona saying they have more than just Lionel Messi to worry about over the two legs.
Whilst speaking to Radio 5 live, Adam said: “Listen, Messi could win the game on his own, you could put the four best players in the world at the back and he could still destroy them,
“I think he was half-fit at Old Trafford, and in the second leg he turned it on and scored the goal.
“Everybody will focus on Messi, but Barcelona have got ten other top players who they need to worry about.”
It’s easy for people to focus their eyes on Messi when facing Barcelona, especially in the Champions League, however this Barcelona side have much more to offer, which is a scary thought for Liverpool fans.
The likes of Sergio Busquets and Gerard Piqué will be extremely important in keeping Liverpool’s front three quiet, and the Reds’ midfield will have to be on top form to break down the entire Barcelona attacking line, not just Messi.
Even if Jurgen Klopp’s men manage to keep Messi silent, they will still have other significantly important players to deal with such as ex-Liverpool duo Philippe Coutinho and Luis Suarez, who are a handful in themselves.
Arguably, Barcelona’s defence is their weakest asset, especially considering the players in which they have to offer up top.
Even so, Liverpool’s front three will still have trouble putting the ball past Marc-André ter Stegen in the Barcelona goal, and the big German has been in fine form this season.
This will be tough ask, even for strikers with a goal scoring record as impressive as Liverpool’s main front men.
Whichever starting eleven Klopp decides to put out against Barcelona in their Champions League fixture, they will be tested untold amounts.
This means Liverpool should heed Adam’s warning about not getting too distracted by Messi because if they don’t, they could pay the price by losing and having a mountain to climb in the second-leg.
