Villarreal manager Unai Emery was relieved his side will go into the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against Liverpool, trailing just 2-0 after their defensive game plan backfired at Anfield.
Liverpool had looked frustrated in the first half as Villarreal manned the barricades but the hosts were rewarded after the break thanks to an own goal and a Sadio Mane strike.
The Spaniards were under pressure throughout the game and couldn’t get a shot on goal.
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“I have to admit it could have been a lot worse,” Emery told Movistar Plus.
“We tried to attack, pass, build but they wouldn’t let us do anything and our last resort was to resist defensively to survive the second game.
“We complained too little. We have to be humble and try to make the second leg a completely different game. We have to play harder, like we’re used to.”
Emery’s side looked like a shadow of the aggressive and daring team that defeated Juventus in the round of 16 and defeated Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals.
However, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp urged his side to remain absolutely vigilant in the face of a third Champions League final in five seasons and insisted the result could give the wrong impression.
Klopp, who has won all four semi-finals of his home Champions League games as a manager with Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool – his teams have scored 15 goals while conceding three – insisted the job is not done yet.
“Now it’s halftime [in the tie]no more and no less,” said Klopp. “There is still a lot to do, nothing has happened yet.
“The best example is when you play a game and it’s 2-0 at halftime. You have to be on your guard in the second half and be in the right mood 100 percent.
“They could play the second half the way you played the first half and if they do that all the advantages we have go away. We’re going there for the second leg and it’s going to be a difficult atmosphere, obviously different than tonight. Your players are fighting for their lives, for their coach.”
The Spaniards also insisted they are alive ahead of next Tuesday’s second leg.
“We’re only two goals behind. A lot can happen in football and 90 minutes is a long time. If we manage to score early, we’re back in the game,” said centre-back Pau Torres.
“At home we’re a completely different team, we’re going to go out there and play to win. We still have faith in ourselves, we have no doubts. I can promise our fans that they will see a Villarreal they are with can identify.” in the second leg.”