The Reds boast a 2-0 lead and will look to book their ticket to the final. However, expect Unai Emery to make the second leg as uncomfortable as possible.

Preview

The midweek is here, meaning the UEFA Champions League semifinals are back! While Real Madrid vs Manchester City might be the headline game, Liverpool kick the second leg off on Tuesday, with the English giants taking on Villarreal with the sole aim of booking their ticket to the final.

In all fairness, Klopp's men have one foot in the final already. Unlike the other game which ended in a slim one-goal victory for Guardiola's side, the Reds triumphed in the first encounter with the Yellow Submarine 2-0, giving them a lovely cushion ahead of their trip to Spain.

The Merseyside giants were by far the better team as they dominated the game from kick-off until the final whistle. However, Villarreal had one goal and one goal only in the first leg: sit deep, defend the spaces, and frustrate the opposition.

And frustrate, they did, for the first half at least. Salah and Co. had a few opportunities but were made to wait until the second 45 minutes to break the deadlock. Fortune came into play as Jordan Henderson saw his cross deflected by a Villarreal player into the back of the Yellow Submarine's net. Just a few minutes later, Salah and Mane combined to make it two-nil, with the Egyptian setting up the Senegalese ace to kill off the first leg.

Emery's men attempted to come out at that point but were unable to break down the Premier League heavyweights. The reason isn't surprising: Klopp has assembled a brilliant side that can beat anyone in the world. In fact, Liverpool's quadruple chase is proof of that, with the Anfield side going after four trophies this season – the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, and FA Cup, having already lifted the Carabao Cup trophy.

Additionally, form is on their side as Liverpool have now gone 12 games without defeat. Their last loss was in Europe and it was a meaningless 1-0 stumble at home to Inter Milan in the round of 16, having won 2-0 at the San Siro in the first leg. The Reds brushed aside Benfica in the quarterfinals and will look to do the same to Villarreal when they face off on Tuesday.

However, expect Unai Emery's men to have other ideas. While Liverpool's quadruple chase is impressive, Villarreal's campaign in the UEFA Champions League this season has been historic, with the Spanish outfit eliminating two continental powerhouses in order to make it this far.

First came a clash with Juventus in the round of 16, with many expecting the Serie A giants to eliminate Danjuma and Co. Surprisingly, the opposite occurred, with Emery's men knocking out the Old Lady after thrashing them 3-0 in Turin. After that came a more daunting test as they were drawn up against Bayern Munich.

The Spanish outfit were a tad fortunate in this fixture, winning 1-0 at home before drawing 1-1 at the Allianz Arena in the return leg. This victory sent shockwaves around the world, with fans and pundits alike being reminded that Emery isn't a coach to take lightly.

Nonetheless, Villarreal have been inconsistent domestically, where they sit in seventh in the table. In fact, the Liga outfit enter this game on the back of consecutive defeats, losing 2-1 to Alaves straight after their Anfield defeat. Emery promised to deliver a tough test in the second leg, meaning this fixture should be interesting.

Team news

Villarreal: Alberto Moreno and Yeremi Pino are both sidelined while Danjuma suffered discomfort ahead of their recent weekend game, meaning he is a doubt for this tie. Additionally, Gerard Moreno, who is out with a hamstring issue, is also a doubt.

Liverpool: Roberto Firmino is the only concern, with the Brazilian forward yet to recover from his foot injury. Curtis Jones and Kostas Tsimikas, who were sick earlier, are healthy again. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho, Mohamed Salah and Thiago Alcantara, who were all benched in the 2-0 triumph over Everton, should return to the lineup.

Key stats

  • Liverpool have won nine out of their last 11 matches in the UEFA Champions League.

  • The Yellow Submarine are unbeaten at home in over five months.

  • Unai Emery's men look to become only the second team in history to overturn a two-goal deficit in the UEFA Champions League semifinals.

  • Sadio Mane's goal vs. Villarreal in the first leg saw him move level with Didier Drogba as the top African scorer in the UEFA Champions League knockout stages (14 goals).

Broadcast Listings

 

Match details, result and original broadcast info

Villarreal 2 - 3 Liverpool

May 3, 2022 3:00pmEstadio de la Cerámica (Villarreal)

This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.

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