Luis Diaz inspires Liverpool fightback to beat Villarreal after second-leg scare

Liverpool booked their third Champions League final in five seasons after a chaotic 3-2 second-leg win in Villarreal saw them progress 5-2 on aggregate.

While the three-goal cushion may look comfortable this was a test of their nerve and powers of recovery as an awful first half by their standards saw their first-leg advantage wiped out by debut goals in the competition from Boulaye Dia and Francis Coquelin.

But the half-time introduction of £37.5million January signing Luis Diaz, who has reinvigorated 2022 for Jurgen Klopp’s side, changed the game – aided and abetted by a distinctly ordinary goalkeeping performance from the hosts’ Geronimo Rulli.

The Argentinian had a hand – or lack of one – in all of Liverpool’s three goals from Fabinho, Diaz and Sadio Mane in 12 second-half minutes and was culpable for at least two.

Villarreal’s misery was completed when Etienne Capoue was sent off for a second yellow card for a foul on Curtis Jones late on.

Incredibly this was the first European semi-final away leg the 2019 winners had won since 1985, having lost the last four and conceded 11 goals in total yet still progressed on three occasions.

Thunderstorms on Monday night had given way to persistent rain throughout matchday – causing some localised flooding – and while that may have dampened the surface inside Estadio de la Ceramica it did not affect the atmosphere.

Klopp had warned his side would have to suffer in parts of this tie but he could not have expected that to start so early and last for so long.

The LaLiga side, conquerors of Juventus and Bayern Munich, did not manage a shot on target at Anfield last week but scored with their first here in only the third minute.

Pervis Estupinan’s cross was met at the far post by