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Milner: Barcelona wouldn't have played too many teams like us


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If there is one Liverpool player who would love to get one over Barcelona more than most it is James Milner.

Part of the Man City squad who were eliminated by Barcelona from the Champions League in back to back seasons (2013/4/2014/5), Milner does not want to make it a hat-trick of defeats.

While the Spanish giants are many people's favourites to win the competition, the versatile veteran believes the Reds can pose them plenty of searching questions of their own.

The Liverpool Echo reported Milner as saying:

"I've played against Barcelona a couple of times before in the knockout stages and not had the greatest success.

"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 like us.

“It will be difficult. They are a team full of great individual talent and a great side too.

“The Nou Camp 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 over the last couple of seasons, with the teams that we have beaten in the Champions League, we should go there with confidence, no matter how tough it is going to be.”

 

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The win over Porto on Wednesday evening saw the Reds progress to the final four of Europe's elite club competition for the second consecutive season.

It is the first time they have achieved such a feat since Rafa Benitez's tenure (2006/7-07-08).

Milner believes it is a sign of all-around improvement by Jurgen Klopp's men.

"It’s great. Doing it back-to-back shows that we are improving as a team and getting to where we want to be.

“It’s not easy. The teams in the semi-finals are completely different to last year but it’s a great a place to be and mission accomplished.”

Milner said he expected a real challenge from Porto in the second leg, but the pleasing thing is that it showed a resilience that has been a real trademark of this squad this season.

"The pressure they put us under from the start, we knew it would be tough but we just ground it out. We defended, we got the chance and once we took it, that helped in terms of the tie.

"We showed different sides to ourselves, defending and showing what we can do depending how the game is. 

"You are not going to play well in every single game. It says a lot about the character within the team.

"In the second half we got some great goals – a great ball from Trent Alexander-Arnold for the second. We are scoring different types of goals as well, from set-plays.

"Virgil (van Dijk) is getting a few now. He was getting a fair bit of stick earlier in the season for not getting enough, now he can’t stop scoring.

Milner is a perfect man to have on board at this time of the season as he has lived through the pressure of a title race.

He knows that his former club will quickly put the disappointment of their heartbreaking Champions League exit behind them and focus on the league which includes getting revenge over Tottenham in the early kick-off on Saturday.

While for Liverpool it is about keeping their mind on the job at hand.

"City are Premier League champions for a reason and I am sure they will react like champions.

“They will go again, but Spurs will have their backs up and will want to go again after getting such a great result to get through. 

"They are two top teams and it will be an exciting game for the neutral.

"We will keep one eye on it but all we can do is influence our games. There are big games coming all over the place, the first thing we have to do is recover for Cardiff.

"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. We have got a big game of our own at the weekend that we have to get a result in.”

 


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3 hours ago, sir roger said:

Looking at the first half of that I reckon the other lads have bet BGJ to see how many cliches he could get in one interview.

Isn't that how all football interviews are written? 

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