LIVERPOOL, England – Don’t be fooled by the narrow goal line. Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Villarreal at Anfield was the most one-sided semi-final you’re likely to see and could and should have been so much more for the six-time European champions.
But a 2-0 lead could well be more than enough to keep Liverpool’s dream of four major titles in one season alive. Unai Emery’s side have 90 minutes left in next Tuesday’s second leg to salvage that tie and reach the Champions League final in Paris on May 28, but it defies all logic and statistical evidence to believe that Losing to a seemingly unthinkable Villarreal, Liverpool will hit back.
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“It’s 2-0 at halftime [in the tie]’ said Jurgen Klopp. “It’s the best example of a result where you have to be very alert. We have to be 100 per cent in the right mood and play the second leg the same as the first leg. The result is okay, but we’re not through yet.”
This competition has certainly given us many notable returns over the past few years, including Liverpool overcoming a 3-0 deficit against Barcelona and winning the return 4-0. If Villarreal manage to eliminate Klopp’s side at the Estadio de la Ceramica, they will be in the same league of shocks as that unforgettable night at Anfield in May 2019.
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But Liverpool’s failure to translate their dominance into a winning margin that better reflects the game means last season’s Europa League winners Villarreal still have a glimmer of hope in the second leg. The ‘Yellow Submarine’ has ended the European ambitions of Arsenal, Manchester United, Juventus and Bayern Munich in the last 12 months so Liverpool won’t take them lightly, but that’s why Klopp’s side were so in charge in the first leg , was exactly that Liverpool did not underestimate Villarreal.
Both Juventus and Bayern failed to spot Villarreal’s threat on the counterattack and paid a heavy price, but Liverpool made no such mistake and their defensive focus was just as important as their attacking flair. By the end of the game, Liverpool had registered 20 shots on goal compared to Villarreal. According to official UEFA statistics, Liverpool had 93 attacks (Villarreal only managed 15) and completed 645 passes as opposed to 182 by Emery’s team. In terms of possession, Liverpool had 68% over the 90 minutes.
The fact that they only won 2-0 was due to missed chances and Villarreal’s organization and defensive discipline. In the first half, the Spanish team delivered a master class at defusing the atmosphere, slowing down the game, wasting time and denying Liverpool the space to play at their usual breathtaking pace. Villarreal’s approach frustrated the home side and reassured the crowd – an achievement in itself on a Champions League night at Anfield – but there was always a sense that if Liverpool continued to pour forward, the dam would burst.
It was all about game management and patience, facilitated by the presence of Thiago Alcantara in Liverpool’s midfield, with the former Barcelona and Bayern player ensuring no one in the red shirt panicked at Villarreal’s attempts to stifle the game got. But when Fabinho ruled out a goal for offside in the 50th minute, it was clear Liverpool were ready to race through the aisles in search of an opening goal, which came three minutes later when Jordan Henderson’s cross defeated goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli, after being deflected towards goal by Pervis Estupinan.
The goal brought relief and greater urgency and Sadio Mane doubled Liverpool’s lead two minutes later when he pinned the ball under Rulli after being released by Mohamed Salah. In the blink of an eye, Villarreal was no longer tight in the tie but had to hold on with his fingertips. Andy Robertson then ruled out an offside goal and Virgil van Dijk and Luis Diaz both came close to scoring, but Villarreal fought off defeat by just two goals.
This Liverpool side are too good to give up a two-goal advantage in a Champions League semi-final, despite conceding seven goals in Liverpool’s last two away semi-finals under Klopp in 2018 and 2019. While Premier League rivals Manchester City need to defend a one-goal lead against Real Madrid following Wednesday’s 4-3 first-leg win at the Santiago Bernabeu, Liverpool’s challenge is nothing more than routine.
Klopp will remind his players of that night against Barcelona when nobody gave Liverpool a chance and urge them to beware of Villarreal staging their own miraculous comeback.
“I looked at Villarreal and the way they are organized was a lesson for me,” said Klopp. “But we should not forget that we are good too. It’s going to be difficult but the best way to deal with a 2-0 lead is to ignore it and start again from 0-0.”
However, for Villarreal and Emery there is still defiance and a belief that they can deliver a shock.
“[Liverpool] will suffer more than tonight in Villarreal,” Emery said after the game.
That could prove to be the case, but the reality is that Liverpool and their fans can start making plans for Paris.