Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal has expressed tremendous respect for Liverpool as he named his team as the new frontrunners in the Champions League – following Liverpool’s exit. This comes after Arne Slot‘s impressive debut season at Anfield witnessed a couple of significant hiccups.
Despite topping their group, the Reds’ Champions League journey ended in a shootout loss to PSG, with a further slip-up against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley. In contrast, Liverpool maintains a solid lead in the Premier League, a commanding 12 points ahead of Arsenal.
Yet the Parisians have now emerged as serious contenders, and Barcelona‘s teenage sensation believes they are well-positioned to take the crown following Liverpool’s exit. Speaking to SPORT, the young star declared: “We are favorites to win the Champions League now that Liverpool are out of the competition.
“We are not afraid of any team, we are a family. And we’re not the same as one year ago against PSG [who beat Barca 6-4 on aggregate in the quarter-finals in 2024]. When the group stage ended, I said Liverpool were the favorites because they were first, and now that they’ve fallen, it’s us.”
Barcelona are set to take on Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals, while PSG will tackle Aston Villa. Arsenal face a heavyweight clash with Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich line up against Inter Milan. Barca chases a domestic and European double, topping La Liga level on points but ahead on goal difference from Real Madrid.
Yamal’s comments showcase Liverpool’s reputation in Europe, reflecting the progress they’ve made under Slot, who wasn’t tipped for an immediate title triumph in his inaugural campaign. The Reds, under Slot’s tutelage, aim to continue their Premier League title pursuit in the Merseyside derby against Everton come April 2.
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Reds icon Robbie Fowler has hailed it as an extraordinary feat if Slot secures the tile in his first season in charge. “The last week was not what we wanted but I think [Slot has] been a phenomenal manager for the club,” Fowler said.
“Every Liverpool fan will forgive losing the Champions League and League Cup as, other than a catastrophic development, Liverpool are going to win the Premier League and for a manager to come in and do that is a phenomenal achievement. To sit here and say Liverpool haven’t missed Jurgen is quite an unbelievable statement considering Jurgen took them to the very top table again.”
