There was a question Sportsmail thought to ask Luis Suarez in last week’s interview but ultimately dodged: ‘Would you get in this Liverpool front three?’ He probably would, but it would be a very close call.
Jurgen Klopp has assembled the most feared attacking trident in European football.
On Wednesday, they face the world’s best player, his side-kick who has torn it up in the league all season but is yet to score in the Champions League, and a revitalized Philippe Coutinho. Here’s how the two front threes measure up.
Lionel Messi has been his usual brilliant self up front for Barcelona this season
Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho have also been important for Barcelona this campaign
Mohamed Salah has been the star man for Liverpool up front for the last two seasons
Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino are the other effective cogs in the Liverpool front three
GOALS SCORED
Messi, not surprisingly, is way out in front with 46 in all competitions. Suarez has an impressive 24 but none of them have come in Europe.
When UEFA took his effort at Old Trafford away from him and gave it to Luke Shaw it also robbed him of what would have been his first goal away from home in the Champions League since 2015.
Coutinho has 11 goals but Barcelona want more from him. If occasionally at Liverpool he was guilty of shooting too much, he was praised at the weekend when he had five shots, one which hit the crossbar – they want him to be braver.
A Barcelona goal on Wednesday would give the club 500 in European football.
Liverpool’s front three have scored 65 goals to date, short of Barcelona’s 81. But their goals are far more evenly shared out.
Who comes out on top: Barcelona
Messi, not surprisingly, is way out in front for goals scored with 46 in all competitions
EFFICIENCY
Barcelona might have more goals but for ratio of shots converted one man leaves the rest in his wake and it is not Messi.
Sadio Mane has a shot conversion rate of 22.4, ahead of 20.1 for Messi.
Liverpool fans who used to curse Coutinho’s occasional wayward shooting will not be surprised that he has the lowest conversion rate at 9.7.
Who comes out on top: Liverpool
The efficient forward Mane has a shot conversion rate of 22.4, ahead of 20.1 for Messi
WHICH FRONT THREE PLAYS BEST AS A TEAM?
It’s 34 against 19 in Barcelona’s favour in terms of assists. Salah and Firmino with 10 and seven have good numbers but Suarez also has 10 assists and Messi has a staggering 19.
The Liverpool trident is finely-tuned but the understanding between Suarez and Messi is telepathic.
On the bright side for Liverpool there have been games when Coutinho has not looked on the same wavelength as the other two.
Who comes out on top: Barcelona, just
The understanding between Suarez and Messi in the Barcelona forward line is telepathic
FRESHNESS
Liverpool’s front three could be fresher. It’s true that Messi rested at the weekend and has played fewer minutes this April than in any previous April.
But Luis Suarez has played four games in the last 11 days and coach Ernesto Valverde admitted on Monday that he wanted to rest Suarez against Levante at the weekend but was not able to.
Liverpool’s front three had an extra day of rest because they played on Friday. And Firmino, albeit because of an injury, has rested for even longer.
Over the course of the season Salah has actually played more than anyone with 3994 minutes. Suarez is not far behind on 3949.
Who comes out on top: Liverpool
Courtesy of an injury, Roberto Firmino has been rested longer than anyone in the squads
VARIATION
In theory Liverpool are all about the lightning counter-attacks and Barcelona are more inclined to pass their way into teams with intricate exchanges in and around the penalty area.
But at this level – with arguably the two most in-form teams in Europe – both sides have more than one way to crack the other’s safe.
Firmino’s guile gives Liverpool a different dimension and Messi, Suarez and Coutinho can always pop open a high defensive line with a quick break.
Who comes out on top: Draw
Brazilian Coutinho can always pop open a high defensive line with a quick break
WHAT’S IN RESERVE
Liverpool could have Sturridge, Shaqiri and Origi on the bench but nothing that quite matches the threat posed by Ousmane Dembele. His pace could really stretch Liverpool late on.
Malcom will offer the same speed and direct running.
Who comes out on top: Barcelona
Nothing on Liverpool’s bench quite matches the threat posed by Ousmane Dembele