Cesc Fabregas has praised Liverpool's performance against Barcelona despite a 3-0 Champions League semi-final first leg defeat, suggesting that Lionel Messi was the decisive factor in the result.
Messi went a long way to delivering on his pre-season promise to win the Champions League with two goals - one a brilliant trademark free-kick - in a 3-0 first-leg semi-final victory over Liverpool.
Former Reds striker Luis Suarez got the opening goal at the Nou Camp but just as the visitors were threatening to equalise, the Argentinian genius struck.
His first goal was via a huge stroke of luck as Suarez's shot rebounded off the crossbar to offer a tap in - but the second was an absolutely sublime 25-yard free-kick.
The scoreline was harsh on Liverpool, who appeared to have weathered the storm and were causing Barca boss Ernesto Valverde enough concern for him to replace another former Anfield favourite Philippe Coutinho with right-back Nelson Semedo and change to 4-4-2 formation with the score at 1-0.
But in the blink of an eye the lead became three - making a comeback next week not impossible but incredibly difficult without an away goal.
AS Monaco midfielder Fabregas - formerly a Barca team-mate of Messi - tweeted following the game: "Hats off to Liverpool, what an amazing performance. You can only lose a game like that if against you there is a good team but specially a player that is well above the rest."
Milner forced Liverpool's first save out of Marc Andre Ter Stegen early in the second half and then wastefully shot straight at the goalkeeper after Wijnaldum had dummied Salah's cut-back.
Barca's change in formation did not seem to help them much as Liverpool continued to press for the equaliser.
But then fortune and some considerable Messi magic counted against them - and the margin would have been greater had substitute Ousmane Dembele taken advantage of two late chances.
Additional reporting by the Press Association.
