Liverpool missed Firmino’s cutting edge to turn dominance at Nou Camp into goals

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Liverpool’s assault on the Premier League and Champions League has been largely free of injuries but Roberto Firmino sat out the 5-0 win over Huddersfield on Friday and was only fit enough for the bench against Barcelona last night.

That meant that Jurgen Klopp fielded Gini Wijnaldum as a false nine as the Reds caused Barca great trouble on their own patch, forcing them backwards and necessitating the introduction of defender Nelson Semedo for Philippe Coutinho on the hour mark.

But much of the threat was coming from out wide – in the shape of Andy Robertson, Sadio Mane and Mo Salah – with Wijnaldum understandably not as proficient as Firmino at pressing and probing the home centre halves.

The fact that Klopp didn’t introduce Firmino, who Spotrac claim earns £180,000 a week at Anfield, until Liverpool were 2-0 down indicates he wasn’t really fit enough at all to make a real impact.

A fully fit Firmino would have created even more space for Salah and Mane, further stretching a Barca defence which creaked throughout the game, as well as allowing Liverpool to press even more snappily.

Liverpool performed excellently regardless but just needed to be that bit more clinical and Firmino’s absence just gave the hosts enough breathing space to escape without conceding an away goal.

Klopp must hope that Firmino’s cameo hasn’t set his injury return back and that he is fit to start at Anfield on Tuesday, because having those three red arrows up front together is Liverpool’s only chance of producing another famous comeback from 3-0 down.