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MOTD: Villarreal 1-0 Liverpool

By on April 28, 2016

Liverpool’s smashing 4-3 comeback against Borussia Dortmund in the Europa League Quarterfinals promised big things as Jürgen Klopp’s men marched into their semifinal visit to Villarreal.  This time, however, they were on the receiving end of a late sucker-punch in the form of Adrian’s lovely stoppage-time winner.

After a first-half of few chances, it appeared increasingly likely that neither side would break the deadlock, but both teams hit the woodwork in the second period and The Yellow Submarine finally sunk Klopp’s men to carve a vital lead for the away leg at Anfield.

“Everybody who knew nothing about Villarreal knows more now,” said Klopp.

The German manager, however, maintained cool confidence that Liverpool can complete another second-leg recovery. “It is the first leg and my first thinking when everybody was celebrating around me was ‘sorry, but it’s not over – you have to come to Anfield too’. We will be ready,” said Klopp per the BBC.

Toral viewed the result through a wholly different sense and credited Villarreal’s organized defensive performance. “We were lucky enough to score,” he said. “But it was not an unfair result.”

“We were presented with the chance to create history. We were up against a team with an extraordinary historic record and all of us have been thinking about this game. It has been an unforgettable night. We’re fortunate to have been able to live a night that every professional dreams of.”

Liverpool had put in a resolute, patient shift, but in a single moment of disorganization, Denis Suarez picked the lock and set up Adrian in the dying moments of the match to take the home side one step closer towards their dream of a first ever appearance in a European final.

The Reds drew first blood when Joe Allen burst into the box to test Sergio Asenjo with a side-footed effort from Adam Lallana’s cross.

Although Villarreal were inventive on the ball, their service to Roberto Soldado and Cedric Bakambu was repeatedly smothered by Liverpool’s back-line.  The home side came close from a short, clipped free-kick over the top to Soldado, who ghosted in behind Liverpool’s back-line and volleyed just wide of the post.

In the twentieth minute, Jonathan Dos Santos saw a low, curling effort form the edge of the box saved by Mignolet and Bakambu rattled the post with a near-post header from Dos Santos’ corner on the other side of the half.

Firmino also came close at the other side of the pitch, firing a low effort on the turn, which Asenjo tipped onto the base of the post and away.

The game became stretched in the dying minutes of the game and Villarreal treated to take the lead.

Mignolet denied Bakambu’s curling effort with a phenomenal save in the eighty-seventh minute and the ball trickled out for a corner.  Villarreal lobbed the ball into the box, but Liverpool cleared and Alberto Moreno stormed in on goal on the breakaway.  Yet the Spaniard could only fire over the crossbar from the edge of the box and he would come to rue his miss moments later when Villarreal struck on a quick, incisive breakaway.

Denis Suarez ran in behind Moreno on the end of a lovely diagonal ball and his first touch cushioned the ball on a dime, taking him past Kolo Toure and drawing Simon Mignolet out from goal.  Suarez lined up for a shot, only to cut the ball back to Adrian, who had the simplest of tap-ins to send the home side roaring into the lead.  Legend says Simon Mignolet is still rooted to the ground to this day.

The Belgian goalkeeper cut an isolated, lonely figure as euphoria ensued around him.  Villarreal players flocked to the corner flag to celebrate with the fans and scarves painted the ground a fantastic yellow.  There is still a mountain of work left for the Spanish side in the second leg but the night yields a hard-earned and well-deserved win.

Homepage photo credit: Millars (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.