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MOTD: Liverpool 3-0 Villarreal (3-1 agg)

By on May 5, 2016
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Liverpool booked their tickets to the Europa League final with an outstanding victory over Villarreal at Anfield.  The Reds will face Sevilla, who will be competing in their third consecutive final, and stand defiant in the face of Spain’s dominance on the European stage.  The Champions League final will be lifted by a Spanish side for the third straight year later this month and Liverpool prevented a second all-Spanish final with yet another Anfield turnaround.

Jürgen Klopp’s men overcame a 1-0 deficit from the first leg in Spain, although the meeting lacked the fireworks of their 4-3 defeat of Borussia Dortmund in the Quarterfinals.  Klopp’s warning to Villarreal, “they won’t know what hit them,” was splashed across the cover of the Daily Mail, and indeed, the Liverpudlians overwhelmed the Spanish side with the “emotional football” that has driven Klopp’s men thus far.

Liverpool blindsided Villarreal with an early go-ahead goal, a “hammer blow,” in the words of Villarreal boss Marcelino Toral.  Liverpool benefitted from Alphonse Areola’s shaky night in goal, but, as Klopp mused, Villarreal’s nerves were exacerbated by the raucous home crowd.

“Great moments and great nights don’t just happen at Anfield because you step off a bus and touch the sign, great things happen here because players and supporters make them happen,” said the German manager.

After watching the first leg from the bench, Daniel Sturridge returned to the starting lineup and repaid his manager’s trust.  Although consistent form has evaded the Englishman in recent times, he reminded the Anfield faithful of his class, playing a direct part in the home side’s first goal and coolly netting the second on the other side of the half.

Roberto Firmino was Liverpool’s creative spark in the midfield and was behind all three of their goals.  Liverpool took advantage of ample space on the wings and although Villarreal maintained a sturdy, organized back-line, were let down by multiple lapses of concentration.

Liverpool took the lead on just six minutes, when Nathaniel Clyne’s low cross from the right evaded everybody and Firmino cut it back into the middle at the far post.  Sturridge carved a pocket of space to poke the ball home, but miscued his poked effort and the ball deflected off of a hapless Bruno and into the back of the net.

The visitors, however, responded resiliently and, having forced Simon Mignolet into a fine save from Maria Gaspar’s deflected shot early on, threatened again when Mateo Mussacchio sliced a low-side volley towards the bottom corner from Roberto Soldado’s chest-pass.  Mignolet again saved.

Liverpool completed the turnaround on the other side of the half.  Adam Lallana’s attempted cross was blocked and the ball bounced back up towards the edge of the box, where Firmino cushioned the ball down on his chest and wound up for a shot.  Instinctually, Villarreal’s defense stepped forward to close the ball down, only for Firmino to poke an incisive through ball right into the feet of Sturridge, who had ghosted in behind Villarreal’s center-backs.  The Englishman cooly sneaked a low finish between Areola’s legs and in of the post to put Liverpool back in the driver’s seat in the tie.

Villarreal’s frustration boiled over when Victor Ruiz was sent off for stamping on Firmino’s foot in a late, unnecessary lunge for the ball.

The challenge tipped the scales irrevocably in Liverpool’s favor and Lallana put then the game to bed on eighty minutes, poking home Sturridge’s scuffed half-volley from Firmino’s cut-back. Liverpool’s class and work rate proved too much for Villarreal and next, Jurgen Klopp will take his heavy metal football to Basel to attempt to pick up his first silverware at the club.

Homepage photo credit: John Jones (Liverpool FC Vs Arsenal Dec 21st 2014 (2-2)-210012) [CC BY-SA 2.0], 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.