Liverpool sink the Yellow Submarine
AHEAD OF TONIGHT’S second leg, Dejan Lovren spoke about how he and his team-mates could rescue their season by lifting silverware in Basel.
The job is far from done, Sevilla who are seeking a third straight crown await, but this was another hugely impressive performance from Liverpool.
It had all the ingredients to be another memorable night under the lights at Anfield – and Klopp’s men didn’t disappoint.
They came out of the blocks bristling with intent and had a usually water-tight defence rattled inside the opening minutes. The hosts laid siege to the Villarreal goal, tore into their opponents and unsettled them.
There is so much to enjoy about this Liverpool team. James Milner and Emre Can are enterprising in midfield but so effective in the way they go about their business. The return of the latter was a major boost.
The attacking trio of Roberto Firmino, Adam Lallana and Daniel Sturridge were outstanding, pulling the Villarreal defence apart at regular intervals with pace and power and movement off the ball.
Alberto Moreno’s moment of madness could have cost the hosts before they killed the tie off but there was no doubt they deserved the victory and a place in the final on 18 May.
The Klopp effect is scarcely believable
Wherever your allegiances lie, it’s difficult not to admire Jurgen Klopp. The impact he has had at Anfield and the way he’s been able to revive the club’s fortunes in such a short window is scarcely believable.
The Reds have made Anfield a fortress again and it’s been a while since the iconic ground rocked like this. The scenes on Anfield Road before the game, where thousands of fans created a partisan atmosphere to greet the players, set the tone for what was to come.
Klopp has now guided Liverpool to a second cup final in seven months and it would take a brave man to bet against the Reds going all the way this time around.
“Wonderful night, brilliant game from my side. What a performance,” he told BT Sport after the game.
“The first half an hour was a big emotion. It was great.
“Everyone spoke a lot about this team before I came here. It was all about quality and not good transfers, I came here because I thought they had a nice squad but now we are in the final – Basel – a longer season.”
Shortly after full-time, the German took centre stage in the middle of the pitch and proceeded to celebrate in only a style he can.
Only Sevilla stand in the way of a fourth victory in this competition for the Reds and a priceless ticket back to the Champions League.
Sturridge proves his worth
There were so many standout performers on the night for Liverpool as they brushed their Spanish visitors aside but Daniel Sturridge’s performance was as significant as any.
With Divock Origi still sidelined, he has been given the opportunity to prove himself to Klopp after working his way back to full fitness. Making his first start since the second leg at Old Trafford on 17 March, Sturridge played like a man possessed.
He started brightly, finding space between the lines and making an impression from the off. The England striker could have conceivably, and probably should have, scored all three goals – but that doesn’t take away from his night’s work.
Sturridge’s movement, as he drifted out to the flanks, made him a constant menace and while he was left frustrated by a lack of clear-cut chances until the second half, he was eventually rewarded.
With Klopp in desperate need of a go-to man for a game of this significance, Sturridge rewarded his manager’s faith and came up trumps.
He’s not quite back to his clinical best yet but the standing ovation he received shortly before the final whistle spoke volumes of his contribution and performance.
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