📰 Table Of Contents
Recommended bets
[RECOMMENDED_BETS]
First leg score: Liverpool 2-0 Villarreal
Liverpool have won all five Champions League away games this season. The Reds have progressed through nine of their last ten European Cup semi-final ties. They’ve won 32 of 37 ties when winning the first leg at home, progressing through all eight when claiming a 2-0 first leg victory at Anfield.
Villarreal have never beaten English opposition in the Champions League in 13 attempts (excluding qualifiers). Only once before have the Yellow Submarine beaten a Premier League side by more than one goal, a 2-0 UEFA Cup victory over Middlesbrough in 2004. Villarreal have actually won three of seven European ties when losing the first leg away.
Both teams to score is 4/6.
Liverpool to win and both teams to score is 9/4.
Mohamed Salah has scored 33 goals in 54 Champions League appearances for Liverpool. He is 15/4 to break the deadlock and 1/1 to score anytime.
New Customers only. Bet £10* & Get £30* in Free Bets. Sign up, deposit between £5* and £10* to your account and bet365 will give you three times that value in Free Bets when you place qualifying bets to the same value and they are settled. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits. Min odds/bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. T&Cs, time limits & exclusions apply. Registration required.
Match preview
It actually took until seven minutes into the second half for the Reds to make the breakthrough.
Jordan Henderson’s cross whipped off Pervis Estupiñán and into the far corner, flying over the stranded Gerónimo Rulli.
Then, mere moments later, it was 2-0 with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané combining with the Senegalese cooly slotting home.
Villarreal had just one shot all night and, in truth, Jürgen Klopp’s side could’ve won by more, but 2-0 could still prove to be an unassailable lead.
Will the six-times European champions finishing the job at El Madrigal, thereby reaching their tenth European Cup Final.
As has been well documented, Liverpool could end the season with an unprecedented quadruple, given that the Carabao Cup is already in the bag.
On Saturday, Naby Keïta’s early goal was enough to see the Reds beat Newcastle United 1-0 at St James’ Park.
This means they remain one points behind Manchester City in the Premier League, and with an FA Cup Final against Chelsea to come in 11 days time.
Already in this season’s Champions League, the Reds have beaten A.C. Milan, Porto, Atlético Madrid and then Inter and Benfica in the knockout phase.
Liverpool haven’t lost any game by two or more goals for 13 months, since a 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in Valdebebas in last season’s quarter-finals.
If they preserve that record, they’ll be heading to Paris for this season’s final, the city where they beat Real Madrid to win a third European Cup in 1981.
But don’t count out Villarreal just yet as they’ve already upset the odds just to get this far.
El Submarino Amarillo saw off Juventus in the last 16 before ousting Bayern in the quarters, winning 3-0 in Turin before an equally memorable 1-1 draw in Munich.
So, last season’s Europa League winners are competing in their first Champions League semi-final since bowing out to Arsenal at this stage in 2006.
Despite their astonishing run, Unai Emery’s side are in danger of not featuring in any UEFA competition next season.
Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at relegation-threatened Deportivo Alavés means they’re still seventh in La Liga, just one point above in form Athletic Club.
Here, can Villarreal produce an unlikely remontada or will Liverpool be celebrating at Estadio de la Cerámica?
Villarreal team news
As was the case around the two legs against Bayern Munich, Unai Emery rotated heavily for the La Liga fixture in-between.
So, this side will look a lot more like the one that started at Anfield last Wednesday.
Centre-back Pau Torres and controlling midfielder Dani Parejo are the only two players highly likely to start all three games in the last week.
Samu Chukwueze could be a third; he was the surprise inclusion in the first leg and could keep his place if Gerard Moreno isn’t fit.
Without Gerard, who’s season has been blighted by injury, Arnaut Danjuma is the main goal threat, having already scored six in the Champions League.
Other former Premier League players Juan Foyth, Étienne Capoue, Francis Coquelin and Giovani Lo Celso will all start.
Pervis Estupiñán will keep his place at left-back because former Liverpool man Alberto Moreno is out with a long-term cruciate ligament injury.
Liverpool team news
Jürgen Klopp rotated a bit for Saturday’s game in Newcastle with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Thiago, Fabinho and Mohamed Salah all left on the bench.
All four are likely to return, as is Ibrahima Konaté at centre-back.
The Frenchman has started six of the last seven Champions League games, scoring home and away against Benfica, despite only starting eight of 35 league matches.
With Konaté and Alexander-Arnold returning, Joël Matip and Joe Gomez will drop back out again.
In attack, Salah, first leg scorer Sadio Mané and Luis Díaz appear to be Klopp’s first choice trio.
Thus, Diogo Jota could be back on the bench, alongside Divock Origi, with Roberto Firmino currently out due to a foot injury.
The Reds only previous visit to El Madrigal came for a Europa League semi-final in 2016, losing 1-0 before winning 3-0 back at home.
Firmino and James Milner are the only players in that night’s squad who are still at the club.
