The Anfield roar and demons of Rome stand in the way of Barcelona and UCL final

Just 90 minutes stand in the way of Barcelona and a fourth Champions League final in ten years yet, despite a 3-0 advantage in hand, Ernesto Valverde's side must first contend with a roaring Anfield atmosphere and their demons from last season's European exit.

Leo Messi's second-half masterclass in last week's first leg at the Camp Nou leaves Barcelona within touching distance of the 1 June showpiece at the Wanda Metropolitano.

The confirmed absences of Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino add further optimism to Barcelona's cause yet the Catalans' recent history with three-goal advantages in the Champions League, coupled with the daunting home support, ensure that it will be no easy ride.

Ousmane Dembele is the only absentee for Valverde, who will be faced with the choice of handing the under-performing Philippe Coutinho a start at his former home or opt for a more conservative approach by adding another midfielder to stave off any hope of another famous Liverpool comeback.

Jurgen Klopp is faced with slightly more serious injury worries as his two of his star trident miss out, leaving him to select between the likes of Xherdan Shaqiri, Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi. Virgil van Dijk's inability to train with the group on Monday has also left the German with a late defensive headache, for which Joe Gomez is expected to vacate should the Dutchman not pass a late fitness test.

Liverpool's last Champions League defeat at Anfield came in October 2014 when Real Madrid earned a 3-0 victory in the group stages.

The Reds have come a long way since then and their ability to score goals cannot be understated, having netted three times or more times on four occasions this European campaign.

Barcelona are unbeaten on the road in Europe this season, with three wins out of five, two of which came on English soil against Tottenham and Manchester United respectively.

Their last defeat in the competition came just over 12 months ago, in that infamous 3-0 defeat at AS Roma which saw knocked Valverde's men out of the competition after going into the game with a 4-1 advantage.

As was the case six days ago, whoever happens to feature for the home side will have to try to deal with one Leo Messi and, if the Argentine is in the mood, the Anfield atmosphere and the record books will quickly become of little relevance.