'My first thought' - Fabinho makes Liverpool goal admission after Villarreal win

Fabinho said he initially thought about passing the ball instead of shooting in the buildup to his crucial goal against Villarreal on Tuesday.

The Brazilian started off Liverpool's comeback on the night at the Estadio de la Ceramica, as they eventually won 5-2 on aggregate against the La Liga side to book a spot in the Champions League final.

The Reds were 3-2 winners in the second leg, although they survived a scare in the first half as Villarreal moved to parity in the tie.

However, manager Jurgen Klopp introduced Luis Diaz at half time and the pattern of the match shifted. Fabinho, Diaz and Sadio Mane were all able to find the net, giving Liverpool a comfortable advantage over the two legs.

The Brazilian has been in fine goalscoring form this season, with Tuesday's strike his eighth in all competitions.

And although it wasn't the cleanest shot - Villarreal goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli had a disastrous second half and somehow bundled the 28-year-old's effort through his own legs - Fabinho said he was delighted to get the team rolling.

"When I received the ball from Mo Salah, my first thought was to pass the ball, but I thought Sadio was offside so I decided to shoot and I think it was the best option and I was really happy with the goal," he told BT Sport afterwards.

Fabinho also gave his reflections on what was an uncharacteristic first-half showing from Liverpool, where they appeared shell-shocked by the hostile home crowd.

"I think they gave everything first half, we knew the first 15-20 minutes would be important in this game but they scored early and gained confidence," he said.

"The fans felt it and they supported them. It was a hard first half for us, maybe the hardest all season. As a big team, you have to