James Milner has said Liverpool’s pedigree of European comebacks provides hope against Barcelona although there are no illusions about the difficulty that awaits at Anfield on Tuesday.

Liverpool require a monumental victory to salvage ambitions of a second successive Champions League final having lost 3-0 in the semi-final first leg. Jürgen Klopp cautioned against making “mouthy” predictions afterwards, admitting the failure to score an away goal amplified Liverpool’s problems, and his players were equally circumspect on their chances of recovery.

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Virgil van Dijk, however, insisted: “We will keep believing”, and Milner claimed Liverpool’s strength of character guarantees a response. The midfielder said Klopp’s team would also find inspiration in the club’s reputation for defying the odds in European competition.

“Obviously it’s possible,” Milner said. “If it’s possible anywhere then it is possible at Anfield. We have seen special European nights there before and big comebacks. It’s going to be very difficult, we know that. We have to bounce back quickly with a big game at the weekend [at Newcastle on Saturday]. Hopefully we can get a good result there and get a bit of positivity going into next week.

“We’ve seen the character in this squad on more than one occasion over the last few years. We all know the character that is there, we need to be together and bounce back. I have no doubt this team will do that.”

Barcelona’s recent Champions League history should also encourage Liverpool, who created several clear chances at the Camp Nou but were punished for their profligacy by the brilliance of Lionel Messi. The Spanish champions took a 4-1 lead to Roma in last season’s quarter-final only to be eliminated after a 3-0 defeat in the second leg. The scars ensured there was no wild celebration on Wednesday, according to Jordi Alba.

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The full-back said: “Anyone would have happily taken 3-0 before the game against a team that is clearly one of the best in Europe. We have to go there to win. There’s no euphoria in the dressing room. We’re very clear that it is not done. We suffered in the second half but Messi is unique; we will never find a player like him again. I hope we can enjoy him for a long time because when he’s gone, we’ll miss him.”

Arturo Vidal was also wary of the return leg. “We’re convinced that it will be even more difficult there,” the Barcelona midfielder said. “We have to respect Liverpool a lot.”

Andy Robertson admitted he was “baffled” by what happened in Catalonia and said Liverpool cannot afford a hangover at Newcastle on Saturday if they wish to preserve their Premier League title chances.

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“We are near the end of the season but we’ve got three, hopefully four, games left,” the Scotland captain said. “We’ve no time to have a hangover now. We need to go strong into the Newcastle game first and get our bodies ready, and then go again because we can’t let our foot off the gas. We need the three points and push them [Manchester City] the whole way. There can’t be a hangover. Newcastle is our full concentration now.

“We have fallen short [against Barcelona] but we can be proud of the performance and we just need that bit of luck. We are still young and will still learn and be better for it in years to come. We can be proud of what we have done this season but we need one big, final push now.”

Naby Keïta, meanwhile, could miss the remainder of the season with the groin injury that forced his early exit from the semi-final. The Guinea international was still being assessed by Liverpool’s medical staff on Thursday but is facing several weeks on the sidelines.