champions league: Liverpool beat Villarreal to reach Champions League final | Football News

VILA-REAL (Spain): Liverpool hold a sensational comeback from Villarreal To achieve Champions League Tuesday’s final with Fabinho’s second-half goal, Luis Diaz and Sadio Mane won the overall 5-2.
Having been 2-0 down from the first leg, Villarreal ignited hopes of a remarkable comeback in the second leg at the Estadio de la Ceramica after Boulaye Dia finished in the third minute and Francis Coquelin headed again to level the score at 2-2.
As it happened: Villarreal vs Liverpool
But Jurgen Klopp brought in Diaz in place of Diogo Jota at the interval to shake up Liverpool and it was successful, the visitors scoring three goals in 12 minutes to kill Villarreal’s revival and progress to their fourth Champions League final. three after five years.
Liverpool will be waiting for the winner Real Madrid and City of ManchesterThe team will play the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, with City leading 4-3 from last week’s opening goal.

Man City or Madrid will present a first-class test against Villarreal, but after a divine experience at Anfield last week, Unai Emery’s side delivered a display of spirit that shook Liverpool and showed why they beat both Juventus and Bayern Munich to reach the semi-finals.
Liverpool were careless, perhaps complacent even in the first half but sensational in the second, finding a intensity and pace Villarreal simply couldn’t match.
Diaz, who started off the bench but was integral to the defence, has excelled again and could soon become an automatic starter for Klopp.
A banner plastered behind Villarreal’s goal at one end read “90 minutes from our dream” while before kick-off the stadium announcer shouted “maybe, may be back!”

And if anyone in the field remained skeptical, they were given credit early on in the third minute when Pervis Estupinan delivered a cross from the left to Etienne Capoue behind the post.
Under pressure from Andy Robertson, Capoue shot horizontally, landing perfectly to Dia on foot.
Liverpool were occasionally threatened at half-time, with Mohamed Salah slamming Estupinan on the left flank and passing it to Jota in the middle, but Geronimo Rulli was quick to rush out and grab the ball.
But Liverpool lacked the usual control and precision, with Alisson Becker letting the ball touch his hand before Naby Keita sent the wrong pass into his defence, nearly costing Giovani Lo Celso a penalty. .

The second goal came four minutes before half-time when Pau Torres unleashed a long ball from deep for Capoue to cross.
Capoue’s first touch could have gotten away from him but he recovered, controlled, and turned away from Robertson before delivering a superb left-footed cross behind the post, where Coquelin went ahead. on Trent Alexander-Arnold and headed.
The whistle to end the first half created huge cheers from the home fans, the team drew the score and the change from Klopp when Diaz replaced Jota.
Liverpool looked like a team getting yelled at after the break. Now they are rushing to make throw-ins, eager to find the intensity they lacked before.
Alexander-Arnold’s shot from afar sent the ball over the crossbar. Diaz volleys behind the vertical post. And then Fabinho finished, catching Salah’s pass and kicking early over the feet of Rulli, who seemed to have anticipated the cross.
This was a more familiar Liverpool, hitting a level Villarreal couldn’t match, and five minutes later they scored their second, restoring their two-goal lead.
Alexander-Arnold was given too much space on the right and made a cross into the area, where Diaz, out of balance, aimed a brilliant header and went inside.
Seven minutes later, Liverpool delivered the final blow, when Rulli rushed to close a ball that was launched but failed.
Mane sped up clearly and opened the net before Capoue was sent off, receiving a second yellow card with six minutes left.