BARCA TARGET DANGERMAN GERRARD
BARCELONA have singled out Liverpool's Steven Gerrard as the man to stop if they want to progress past the Merseysiders in their Uefa Cup semi-final.
The Catalan giants entertain Gerard Houllier's men in the first leg at the Camp Nou and they are fully aware of the threat posed by the English side and they have pinpointed the influential England midfielder as Liverpool's key man.
Gerrard put in another man-of-the-match display in the 2-0 win against Premiership champions Manchester United last weekend, scoring a wonderful 30-yard goal, and Barcelona's Dutch defender Michael Reiziger was clearly impressed by what he saw from Liverpool in that game and especially the performance of the 20-year-old.
The former Ajax and Milan man thinks the game on Thursday could come down to the midfield battle between Gerrard and Josep Guardiola, and he is expecting the Spanish international to keep the young Red quiet.
"I thought Liverpool looked very good against Manchester United and I was particularly impressed by Steven Gerrard," said Reiziger.
"He looks like he has everything he needs to make a great midfielder and at such a young age.
"Judging by the quality of that goal he scored I think he's the one we need to stop and I believe we have just the man to do it in Guardiola.
"Guardiola proved what an important role he plays for us against Las Palmas and I believe he'll do it again against Liverpool.
"He is so strong and keeps the ball really well for us. He allows the attacking players to get into good positions and his passing is an asset too.
"With him fit and on good form I think we should get a good result on Thursday," Reiziger
Meanwhile, Liverpool's other scorer on Saturday, Robbie Fowler, believes that Gerrard has everything needed to be a successful star and future England captain.
"Stevie is getting all the plaudits lately and rightly so," said Fowler on his official website. "He scored a fantastic goal against Manchester United and that was just the latest example of what a wonderful talent he is.
"The best thing about him though is that he is still only young, which means he can only get better. That is a frightening thought.
"People say you don't reach your peak until you are 27 and if that's the case Stevie is going to be Superman!
"Stevie has been unfortunate in that he often feels sore after he has played a game, but in a way that is understandable because he gives everything all the time.
"Because he puts in such determined performances he virtually comes off with the man-of-the-match award in every game he plays.
"He's a top notch player and has made tremendous progress at Liverpool. There isn't a weakness in his game.
"I rate him so highly that I am sure he's a future captain of England."
