With patience and application but also a little help from fate, Liverpool took a good option in the semi-final first leg of the Champions League by forcing the lock of Villarreal (2-0), Wednesday, April 27, at Anfield. For football lovers still on cloud nine after Manchester City’s incredible 4-3 draw against Real Madrid in the other half on Tuesday, this game was a stark reality check.
Tactically, the spider’s web put in place by Spanish coach Unaï Emery, with his favorite 4-4-2, was certainly interesting to analyze and his team tried, a bit like against Bayern, to restart cleanly with passing sequences long enough to make time pass. But that almost never allowed him to cross the halfway line in the first 70 minutes, as the Reds’ counter-pressing was ruthless from the first moments of the game.
The offensive aspect being sacrificed for the cause, it remained above all to hold defensively by controlling the red waves breaking on the “yellow submarine”. By densifying the axis of the field, Villarreal tried to push Liverpool as quickly as possible outside to corner them along the touchline, counting on their control towers, Pau Torres and Raul Albiol, to s take care of clearing the centers. Attacking against their supporters in the first 45 minutes, Liverpool tried hard with 12 shots, a record for a first half of the C1 semi-final, without finding the back of the net.
Liverpool sure of their strength
Sadio Mané, with a header (12and) and a deflected shot at the entrance to the area (33and) off target, Luis Diaz with two long shots that Rulli had blocked in two stages (14and) then boxed (31and), and Mohamed Salah with two overtakes too high (27and35and) had shown that the goal was within reach. That very nearly was the case for Thiago Alcantara, once again sparkling in the middle, and who found the outside of the top corner from 25 meters (42and).
But, as it seemed written that this match would definitely not be dedicated to fine gestures, it was on a cross from Jordan Henderson deflected by the left side Pervis Estupinan, lobbing Rulli, that the deliverance came (1-0, 53and). Two minutes later, Liverpool had the good taste to add a better-constructed goal, with a very fine millimeter opening from Salah, extended from the point in the goal by Mané (2-0, 55and).
This obviously forced the club from the Valencia region to try more, but the difference in level between a title candidate in England and the 7and de la Liga, which entered C1 by winning the Europa League in 2021, then jumped out. Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp even took advantage of the end of the match to rest Trent Alexander-Arnold, Diaz, Mané – who was not very happy about it – and Henderson before the trip to Newcastle on Saturday.
A third goal would have made it possible to envisage the return, in six days, with even more serenity, but it is difficult to see how, even with the contribution of its public to the Estadio de la Ceramica, Villarreal will be able to go about overthrow a Liverpool sure of its strength.