Rocio Robles
Liverpool vs Villarreal is the second semi-final duel of the UEFA Champions League. The clash between Manchester City and Real Madrid generated endless emotions and provided a good amount of goals. Now, we may expect something similar in the other match between English and Spanish teams, despite the fact that this is, for many, the most unbalanced match of the tournament.
The appointment is this Wednesday, April 27 at 12:00 noon (Pacific time). The Liverpool vs Villarreal will be played at Anfield Stadium, the home of the “Reds” and is expected to have a full house.
Liverpool booked their ticket to the semifinals after beating Benfica 6-4 on aggregate.
In the first leg, the English team had given a masterclass in attacking play and won by a score of 1-3. In the second leg, the Portuguese team tried to do the heroic deed, but failed to do so despite a 3-3 draw at Anfield.
At the moment, Jürgen Klopp’s side have two goals in their sights: the Premier League and the Champions League. They have a chance of reaching the first one, as only one point separates them from leaders Manchester City; as regards the second one, they must first pass this test against an opponent that many have considered the “Cinderella” of the competition.
Undoubtedly, Villarreal has surprised everyone by reaching this stage in the UEFA Champions League, but it is worth noting that despite the surprise, everything has been hard-earned. The Spanish team managed to leave the German giants, Bayern Munich, on the road after defeating them 2-1 on aggregate.
The first leg was held at the Estadio de la Cerámica, where the “Yellow Submarine” used their home advantage to lock down their defense and keep the strong Teutonic attack at bay, but they did not forget about the attack and were able to convert.
A 1-0 victory in the first leg kept them calm and expectant, so they attempted again in the second leg, only to be surprised when Bayern managed to tie the aggregate score, indicating that extra time would be required. However, two minutes before the end of normal time, Samuel Chukwueze made the final score 2-1 on aggregate and thus sealed the defeat of the mighty German team.
Liverpool vs Villarreal, for the second time in the semifinals of a European competition
In 2016, the Europa League semifinals featured Liverpool vs Villarreal. Klopp was already in charge of Liverpool on that occasion, while Marcelino García Toral was at the helm of the Spanish side. The first leg was played at Villarreal and the “Yellow Submarine” won 1-0. However, in the second leg, the English responded with a 3-0 win to make it 3-1 on aggregate.
Liverpool vs Villarreal: Possible Formations
Liverpool: Alisson Becker; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konaté, Virgil Van Dijk, Andrew Robertson; Jordan Henderson, Fabinho Tavares, Thiago Alcántara; Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota, Sadio Mané.
Villarreal: Geronimo Rulli; Juan Marcos Foyth, Raul Albiol, Pau Torres, Pervis Estupiñan; Dani Parejo, Etienne Capoue, Francis Coquelin; Giovani Lo Celso, Arnaut Danjuma, Paco Alcacer.
