Francis Coquelin claims Villarreal can beat Liverpool in another upset

It will be just like old times when Francis Coquelin comes up against Thiago Alcantara on Tuesday night – the Liverpool midfielder was in the Spain team that Coquelin helped France beat in 2010 to win the under-19 Euros.

'In my age group, the generation of '91, he was probably the best player along with Eden Hazard,' the Villarreal midfielder says. 'They were the standout players of their generation.

'We had a lot of battles with Spain [against France] at the time and it will be another one with him on Wednesday.'

This interview has started in Spanish, but Coquelin soon switches to preferred English and he has not lost a London accent he acquired spending ten years at Arsenal, 'seven minus the loans!' he says.

He won the admiration of Thierry Henry who nicknamed him 'Columbo' after the TV detective because he policed midfield. And of Santi Cazorla for whom he became a midfield bodyguard.

'It's in the footballing culture and the genes with those tricky Spanish midfield players', he says of Cazorla and Thiago. 'Especially in Thiago's case with his father (Brazil World Cup winner Mazinho) and his brother Rafinha, it's a decent family of footballers.'

Coquelin is genuine in his praise of Thiago and of Liverpool. But he feels Villarreal have a certain toughness honed in English football that will help them compete tomorrow night.

Against Bayern Munich eight of their starters had been at English clubs and their midfield quartet on the night had all played in England.

'I think the Premier League is probably the best league in the world and the physical nature of the league helps you,' he says.

'We still have the Spanish mentality in LaLiga but when you reach this stage of European football it's important to have the physicality