Liverpool vs Villarreal LIVE: Champions League result, final score and reaction as Reds have one foot in final
LIVE – Updated at 21:58
Liverpool continue their charge towards an unprecedented quadruple as they host Villarreal in the Champions League semi-finals tonight. Having already lifted the Carabao Cup this term, the Reds go hunting for European glory against an underdog Spanish side that bites.
The Europa League champions are seventh in La Liga this season but are more than capable of causing upsets in cup competitions as Unai Emery’s team have already knocked Juventus and Bayern Munich out of this tournament. For their part, Liverpool have seen off Inter Milan and Benfica in the knockout stages having previously won all six of their group stage matches - a first time feat for an English team in the Champions League.
The continued fight to win the Premier League title also means Jurgen Klopp faces more decisions over how best to rotate his side, particularly the attack, knowing that Liverpool cannot afford to drop points on the domestic front. It could well be that the Reds’ greater array of attacking talent proves to be the deciding factor over these two legs, but that will in part rely on Klopp finding the right team to win on home soil after Liverpool failed to beat either of their previous two Champions League opponents in the Anfield leg.
Whichever team trimuphs in this tie will face Real Madrid or Manchester City in the final with City carrying a slender advantage into their second leg having won 4-3 at the Etihad Stadium last night. Follow all the action from Liverpool vs Villarreal’s clash right here:
Liverpool FC 2 - 0 Villarreal CF
Liverpool took a big step toward the Champions League final as they beat Villarreal 2-0 at Anfield in the semi-final first leg on Wednesday night.
The Reds dominated the first half