Liverpool F.C. 3-2 Villarreal C.F. (5-2 agg.)
Coming into the game, Villarreal had a lot of ground to cover. Although they were only down by 2 on aggregate, Liverpool had dominated them in the first leg. On May 3rd, Liverpool traveled to Villarreal for the second leg. Villarreal has always put on a show at home, and they hoped to do so again.
Unai Emery, manager for Villarreal, made his only two changes up top, starting Dia and the now healthy Gerard Moreno. Villarreal played a 4-4-2.
1st leg Starting XI: Rulli, Foyth, Estupiñán, Albiol, Torres, Lo Celso, Capoue, Parejo, Coquelin, Chukwueze, Danjuma
2nd leg Starting XI: Rulli, Foyth, Estupiñán, Albiol, Torres, Lo Celso, Capoue, Parejo, Coquelin, Gerard, Dia
Jurgen Klopp for Liverpool made two changes as well to his lineup. He replaced Henderson with Keita in midfield and started Diogo Jota instead of Díaz. Klopp was hungry for more goals. They played a 4-3-3.
1st leg Starting XI: Allison, Alexander-Arnold, Robertson, Van Dijk, Konaté, Henderson, Thiago, Fabinho, Salah, Díaz, Mané
2nd leg Starting XI: Allison, Alexander-Arnold, Robertson, Van Dijk, Konaté, Keita, Fabinho, Thiago, Salah, Diogo Jota, Mané
Liverpool started with the ball, and Konaté from the back sent it forward to the left side for Diogo Jota and Mané. Villarreal were able to win the ball, and the chess match began. In the 3rd minute, Coquelin delivered the ball across the box where Dia received it and recycled the play. He found Estupiñán, and he crossed the ball. Capoue attempted to shoot the ball first time as it came to him, but he mistimed the shot and ended up passing the ball across the face of the goal. Luckily, Dia was there to meet it and calmly scored the tap-in goal. 1-0 Villarreal (1-2 agg.)
Liverpool were caught off guard. The fans in Estadio de la Cerámica drowned out all their communication, and Villarreal thrived off it. In the 11th minute, Parejo’s long-range effort went just wide.
What was working well for Villarreal was the combination of Dia and Estupiñán. DIa was able to check back into space as a target and lay off the ball to Estupiñán out wide for him to cross it in. Another goal in the same fashion as the first was almost replicated in the 16th minute as Estupiñán crossed the ball, and Gerard Moreno headed the ball towards the net. Robertson was there to block it point blank.
In the 37th minute, Keita passed the ball back right to the waiting Gerard Moreno. He dribbled at the backpedaling Liverpool back line and slipped Lo Celso in. Allison met Lo Celso as he tried to get around him. In a piece of outstanding goalkeeping, Allison dived and made contact with the ball. Villarreal fans and players alike believed it was a penalty, but the referee made the right decision as play continued.
This wasn’t going to stop Villarreal as Pau Torres played a long over-the-top ball to Capoue on the right side in the 40th minute. Capoue’s first touch ended up hitting his other leg, and the ball went towards the corner. He saved it and gained the space necessary to cross the ball. The floater went to the back side as Alexander-Arnold watched the ball. Coquelin ran up and met the ball in the air. Allison couldn’t save it. The tie was level just like that. 2-0 Villarreal (2-2 agg.)
Villarreal headed into halftime with their heads held high. They were back in it and only had 45 minutes left to find another. Liverpool, on the other hand, were defeated. This was not them. They weren’t playing their football, and it was their game to lose. Klopp needed them to shape up fast.
At half, Klopp replaced Diogo Jota with Luis Díaz. Liverpool reset and began probing the ball, winning free kicks and creating opportunities. Alexander-Arnold got the ball off a free kick and took a long-range shot. It was deflected but was still on target. It went over Rulli as he watched it hit the crossbar. The corner was taken by Alexander-Arnold in the 56th minute. His delivery went through the whole box before it went out to Thiago who took it first time. Rulli handled it with ease.
Salah was able to connect with Fabinho in the 62nd minute at the top of the box. Fabinho had tons of space in the box, and Salah played it beautifully. Fabinho took the shot, and it went through Rulli’s legs. Liverpool were back in front! 2-1 Villarreal (2-3 agg.)
Capoue received his first yellow card of the match in the 63rd minute when the ball got a little too far in front of him. He slid recklessly for the ball and took out Fabinho. The referee put him in his book.
Díaz kept making an impact on the game. In the 66th minute, he drove down the sideline and beat Foyth inside. He curled the ball towards the back post, but it was deflected and then hit the post for a corner. Alexander-Arnold’s corner was met by the dominant Konaté, and it went just wide.
Liverpool had returned to their Anfield form as they moved the ball around and created space. In the 67th minute, Alexander-Arnold was in acres of space and received it from Mané. His left-footed cross went towards the back post, and Díaz found it uncontested. His header went down towards the ground and through Rulli’s legs for a goal. 2-2 (2-4 agg. Liverpool)
In the 69th minute, Chukwueze replaced Moreno and Pedraza replaced Coquelin. Liverpool were relentless as they pressed Villarreal. In the 74th minute, Estupiñán coughed up the ball against Díaz and Keita played Mané in. Rulli stepped out to meet Mané high up the pitch, but Mané got the ball past him and Foyth. He passed the ball into the back of the net for Liverpool’s third goal of the night. 2-3 Liverpool (2-5 agg.)
Alexander-Arnold went into the book in the 76th minute as he pulled Pedraza down. Villarreal made their final 3 substitutions after that. Trigueros, Aurier, and Alcácer replaced Estupiñán, Albiol, and Dia, respectively. Liverpool also brought on Tsimikas for Robertson and Henderson for Keita. Jones also replaced Thiago.
Pau Torres was double-teamed by Mané and Salah in his box. They won the ball and found Henderson who crossed it back across the goal. Curtis Jones hit it first time, but Rulli saved it. Villarreal were frustrated and started taking their anger on Liverpool. Lo Celso saw yellow as he pushed Fabinho lightly and tripped him. That was also Fabinho’s last huge moment of the game as Milner subbed him off 3 minutes later.
Pau Torres received a yellow in the 84th minute as he slid Mané when he was free to run. Capoue was sent off soon after that with a late shoulder check on Curtis Jones. The game was over already and going down to 10 men did not help.
The referee blew for the final whistle, and Liverpool were through to their 3rd final in 5 years. Although Liverpool had a shocking first half, they got their act together in the second half. Villarreal does not have enough Champions League-quality players to make a final run. Liverpool outclassed them with their talent. The only way they’ll get to the semifinal again or the final is if Unai Emery convinces the owners to give him the funds necessary to purchase high-quality players. Liverpool will travel to Paris on Saturday, May 28th to face Real Madrid in the Champions League Final.
Here are the stats:
3’ Goal – Dia
41’ Goal – Coquelin
45’ Substitution – Díaz for Jota
62’ Goal – Fabinho
63’ Yellow Card – Capoue
67’ Goal – Díaz
68’ Substitution – Chukwueze for Moreno
68’ Substitution – Pedraza for Coquelin
74’ Goal – Mané
77’ Yellow Card – Alexander-Arnold
79’ Substitution – Trigueros for Estupiñán
79’ Substitution – Henderson for Keita
79’ Substitution – Tsimikas for Robertson
79’ Substitution – Aurier for Albiol
79’ Substitution – Alcácer for Dia
80’ Substitution – Jones for Thiago
81’ Yellow Card – Lo Celso
84’ Substitution – Milner for Fabinho
85’ Yellow Card – Torres
85’ 2nd Yellow Card/Red Card – Capoue
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