'We can beat them' - Milner hoping for third time lucky against Barca

Dom Farrell

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'We can beat them' - Milner hoping for third time lucky against Barca image

James Milner believes Liverpool can cause problems for Champions League favourites Barcelona despite his own forgettable experiences at Camp Nou. 

Milner was part of Manuel Pellegrini's Manchester City teams that bowed out at the first knockout stage in 2014 and 2015. 

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The Reds will face Lionel Messi and his illustrious team-mates at a deeper stage of the competition, having swatted aside Porto to reach the semi-finals, and the 33-year-old believes their playing style under Jurgen Klopp can pose tough questions of any opponent.

"We can beat Barca but we know it will very tough," Milner told reporters. "I've been there a couple of times in the knockout stages with City and not got the right result, so hopefully it is third time lucky for me. 

"They are a strong team and it is a tough place to go but I don't think they will have played too many teams with the style we play either. It will be difficult.  

"They are a team full of great individual talent and a great side too. The Camp Nou is a fantastic stadium and a fantastic place to play with a great atmosphere. It will be very tough and we will have to be at our best but tough for them too.

"Over the last couple of seasons, with the teams we have beaten in the Champions League, we should go there with confidence no matter how tough it is going to be.  

"I'm sure you can see in this year's run and in games when things haven't been going well that we have got the experience. We have been there before and know how to get results." 

Attentions return to the Premier League, with Liverpool travelling to relegation-threatened Cardiff City on Sunday after City take on a Tottenham side that dramatically eliminated them from Europe in midweek. 

Both teams have set a relentless pace at the top of the table and Milner believes Liverpool must win all their remaining games – and reach a points haul of 97 – to become champions. 

"That is what we will have to do. That is what we will try to do," he added, with City's game in hand meaning last season's centurions can still go on to 98 this time around. 

"There are a lot of tough games coming up and it won't be easy. We are used to a game every three days and when the pressure is on towards the end of the season it maybe takes a bit more out of you.  

"But the team has been fantastic in terms of how we have dealt with it all."

Dom Farrell

Dom Farrell Photo

Dom is the senior content producer for Sporting News UK. He previously worked as fan brands editor for Manchester City at Reach Plc. Prior to that, he built more than a decade of experience in the sports journalism industry, primarily for the Stats Perform and Press Association news agencies. Dom has covered major football events on location, including the entirety of Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup in Paris and St Petersburg respectively, along with numerous high-profile Premier League, Champions League and England international matches. Cricket and boxing are his other major sporting passions and he has covered the likes of Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Wladimir Klitschko, Gennadiy Golovkin and Vasyl Lomachenko live from ringside.