Impressive Liverpool take huge stride towards another Champions League final

Liverpool are on the brink of a third Champions League final in five seasons after breaking Villarreal's resistance to win the first leg of their semi-final 2-0 at Anfield on Wednesday.

Two goals in two minutes undid Villarreal boss Unai Emery's defensive game plan as Pervis Estupinan deflected Jordan Henderson's cross into his own net before Sadio Mane slotted in a second.

The Reds remain on course for an unprecedented quadruple of Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup after the comfortable win.

And barring a huge upset when the sides meet again in southern Spain in six days' time, Liverpool's season will finish in Paris on May 28.

Former England defender Rio Ferdinand told BT Sport: "This is the best Liverpool team I’ve ever seen. They’re relentless with and without the ball. It’s the way they press teams, the energy, effort, application, you marvel at it.

"That [the quadruple] has got to be the aim. They are going to set themselves the target. If they achieve it they’re immortal, they are above anyone that has played the game in this country. Whether they can achieve it remains to be seen. But they’re ticking boxes along the way at the moment."

Midfielder Jordan Henderson added: "It was just important that we kept going and believe that we would eventually break them down. We did that with two good goals.

"First one was a bit lucky. Good build up but a bit lucky, in off the defender and keeper I think. We got that and it lifted the crowd. Majority of the game, the counter-press was really good. It made it difficult for them. But the game is still alive and it will be tough in Villarreal."

Up the Reds ❤ pic.twitter.com/25wkVHXq9K

The population of Villarreal would fit inside Anfield but the 3,000