Liverpool’s ‘mentality monsters’ flex muscles to keep quadruple bid alive

Liverpool’s players celebrate after Brazilian midfielder Fabinho scored a goal during the UEFA Champions League semi final second leg football match between Liverpool and Villarreal CF at La Ceramica stadium in Vila-real on May 3, 2022. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)

Fifty-seven games into a gruelling season Liverpool could have crumbled when their 2-0 first-leg lead was wiped out before half-time by an inspired Villarreal playing to reach their first-ever Champions League final.

Instead, the Reds will be in European club football’s showpiece occasion for the third time in five seasons after they hit back to win Tuesday’s game 3-2 and progress from the semi-final 5-2 on aggregate.

“Before the game I told the boys that I would like to read the headlines that ‘the mentality monsters were in town’,” said beaming Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

Six games now separate Klopp’s men from an achievement never before achieved in English football — winning all four major trophies on offer in the same season.

The League Cup is already in the trophy cabinet after Liverpool beat Chelsea on penalties in the final in February, with a rematch of that game to come in the FA Cup final on May 14.

Liverpool’s Premier League title hopes still depend on Manchester City, who hold a one-point lead at the top of the table with four games to go.

And the two teams that have dominated English football over the past five years could face off on the biggest stage of all if City see off Real Madrid in Wednesday’s other semi-final.

The biggest surprise was that there was ever any doubt about Liverpool’s safe passage to Paris on May 28.

In 28 games in 2022 prior to Tuesday’s match in Spain, Klopp’s men had trailed for a total of 53 minutes.

But for just short of an