Barcelona welcome Liverpool to Camp Nou on Wednesday in the first leg of a crunch Champions League semi-final.

With surprise performers Tottenham and Ajax making up the other last-four fixture, the winners of the two-legged affair between Barca and Jurgen Klopp's men will likely be considered the favourites for the title.

The two teams are in top form - Barca retained the title in LaLiga on Saturday - and look well matched ahead of an enticing fixture

We pick out the best Opta numbers ahead of the opening encounter.

1 - Liverpool are the only English side to win away at Barca in European competition, beating them 1-0 in the 1975-76 UEFA Cup and 2-1 in the 2006-07 Champions League.

4 - The Reds have not lost in any of their four previous away meetings with Barca in all competitions (W2 D2). Against no other side do they have a better unbeaten away record in all European competitions (also four against Porto).

11 - This is Liverpool's 11th appearance in the European Cup or Champions League semi-finals. They have progressed from eight of their previous 10, failing only in 1964-65 (against Inter) and 2007-08 (against Chelsea).

14 - Only Steven Gerrard (21) has scored more European Cup or Champions League goals for Liverpool than their attacking trio of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino (14 each).

27 - Barca have won more Champions League games against English sides than any side has won against clubs from any specific nation in the competition's history.

24 - Lionel Messi has scored 24 goals in just 32 Champions League matches against English opposition. However, the Barca forward has failed to net in his two previous appearances against Liverpool.

31 - Barca are unbeaten in 31 Champions League home games (W28 D3), the best such run in the competition's history. They have conceded just 15 goals in that streak, and never more than once in a match.

500 - Barca's next goal in the Champions League will be their 500th in the competition; only rivals Real Madrid (551) have scored more.