Barcelona have stunning home Champions League record against English sides… but have never beaten Liverpool
BARCELONA can take confidence from their stunning home Champions League record against English sides – but they’ve never beaten Liverpool.
The Spanish giants have won 21 of their 34 home European games against English opposition, losing just twice.
But when it comes to the Kop crop – they’re winless in four matches on their own turf.
Liverpool have twice beaten Barcelona at the famous Nou Camp – and twice held the La Liga side to a draw – but have never been beaten.
In the 1975-76 season, the Reds beat Barcelona 1-0 in the semi-final of the Uefa Cup thanks to a John Toshack goal – drawing the home leg 1-1 to advance to the final.
The Reds went on to beat Club Brugge 4-3 in the final.
The two teams didn’t meet again until the semi-final of the same competition in the 2000-01 season.
Liverpool held Barcelona to a 0-0 draw, before beating them 1-0 at Anfield thanks to a Gary McAllister penalty to advance to the final.
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Once again, the Reds won the final in an absolute goal-fest, beating Alaves 5-4 in extra-time, under the golden goal rule.
Barcelona aimed to get the revenge just a season later, in 2001-02 – when the two teams were paired together in the second group stage of the Champions League.
Once again, Liverpool eked out a 0-0 draw at the Nou Camp – before Barca ran riot in a 3-1 win at Anfield.
Most recently, the two teams men in the 2006-07 Champions League last-16 – when Liverpool beat the Spaniards 2-1 in their own back garden.
The Reds would lose 1-0 at Anfield but advance to the quarter-finals on away goals – as they went on to compete in the final, losing to AC Milan.
That year, Liverpool’s win over Barcelona was tarnished somewhat after an incredible bust-up between team-mates Craig Bellamy and John-Arne Riise.
He was completely gone. ‘I don’t care if I go to jail! My kids have enough money for school and everything. I don’t care. I’ll f**king do you!’
John-Arne Riise on his golf club row with Craig Bellamy
The Norwegian refused to sing karaoke with his pals and headed home to the hotel to get an early night – only to awake to find Bellamy at the end of his bed holding a golf club.
Riise recalled: “Bellamy swung the club as hard as he could and tried to hit my shins, which would have ended my career.
“I jumped up, pulled off the sheet and held it between us like a matador. Bellamy sputtered: ‘Nobody disrespects me like that in front of the lads!’
“He was completely gone. ‘I don’t care if I go to jail! My kids have enough money for school and everything. I don’t care. I’ll f**king do you!’
“He swung the club again and this time connected on my hip. The next smashed into my thigh. I knew if I responded, my Liverpool career would be over.
“I tried to calm him down: ‘Put down the club and let’s fight with our fists! A proper fight!’ He just stood and glowered.
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“Then he said: ‘Tomorrow at nine o’clock we’ll finish this.’ Then he left.
“In the morning I found Bellamy’s door and knocked. No answer. It was nine o’clock. I was ready. I knocked again but nobody opened.”
Incredibly, both Bellamy and Riise scored in the 2-1 win, with the Welshman even setting-up the Norway star for the winner…
Bellamy himself celebrated his goal with a “golf swing celebration” – much to Riise’s disgust, calling it “f***ing disrespectful”.
Liverpool take on Barcelona at the Nou Camp on Wednesday night, with kick-off 8pm.