Andy Robertson Says Liverpool Must Not Focus Only on Lionel Messi

Liverpool defender Andy Robertson has said his team are focused on more than just Lionel Messi ahead of their UEFA Champions League showdown with Barcelona on Wednesday.

The Reds travel to the Camp Nou for the first leg of their semi-final, as they seek to keep alive their hopes of winning a Premier League and European double.

Containing Messi will be a big challenge for Liverpool, as the Barcelona star has enjoyed yet another memorable season. Speaking to UEFA (h/t the official Liverpool website), Robertson commented on the other attacking weapons the Blaugrana have at their disposal:

"Of course, you're playing against a better player than you usually would ... he's the best player in the world. You can maybe watch clips, although I don't know if that would help, mind you! ...

"We need to defend in packs, but the problem is that it's not just him. If you keep him quiet, then you've got [Philippe] Coutinho, who we all know well, you've got [Luis] Suarez and people like that who can cause you problems, so it's not about keeping one man quiet, it's about keeping the whole team quiet, and that'll be the hardest thing for us."

Messi is expected to be in peak condition both physically and mentally for Wednesday's game. 

On Saturday he started the La Liga clash with Levante on the bench, before being brought into the game and scoring the winner in a 1-0 victory. The three points secured the Spanish top-flight title for the Blaugrana and Messi's 10th overall:

Now the focus for Barcelona will shift to the Champions League, and Messi has also been able to conjure moments of magic in the competition, helping his side past Manchester United in the previous round with another virtuoso display (U.S. only):

Wednesday's match is likely to be a much more challenging encounter for the Argentina international, as Liverpool have been one of the best sides in Europe this season.

Defensively they've been particularly good, with just 20 goals conceded in their 36 Premier League games. While Virgil van Dijk has rightly earned praise for his colossal performances, the work of the full-backs has been exemplary too, with Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold providing an attacking thrust.

At the end of his raids forward, Robertson's final ball has typically been pinpoint:

BT Sport looked at the effect Liverpool's full-back duo have been able to have on games in the Champions League this season (UK only):

Given Messi likes to float into the right channel at times, the Scotland skipper may have to be a little more disciplined in the way he plays on Wednesday. It will be an opportunity for him to show he can be defensively astute as well as devastating when he bursts forward.

Still, as Robertson says, to stop Messi will require a huge collective effort from the Liverpool team. Based on the standard of their defensive play this season, the Reds have as good a chance as any outfit of limiting his influence.