Villarreal 2 - 3 Liverpool:
In the grand old history of our great club I can not remember any time we have made it easy for ourselves in a Semi or indeed a Final.. Not that we have a divine right to smash teams in the latter stages of competitions but it just seems to pan out that way..
Villarreal we knew would have to come out and play. They just had to.. The talk was they had not played to their levels at Anfield last week. In fact we were just far superior and did not let them play and could have scored more..
The roles very much reversed in the first half of this contest.. They set up a little more open and pressed us high as we predicted. The one thing we didn't want (an early goal) to give away is exactly what happened. Dia scoring after 3 minutes after some poor defending. Coquelin made it 2 before half-time after again.. Some poor defending..
It was a half where we looked like we were playing together for the first time. Passes were way off.. We were second to every ball and just could not play any worse if we'd have tried..
The Turning Points:
There were quite a few turning points.. Half time being the main one.. At 2-0 down we must have all felt.. 'OK lets get to half time chill the funk out and get back out there and put this right'.. Alisson Beckers one on one save was a massive turning point and pin points the difference in class and mentality in the two teams.
Ali came out stood off and went in to win the ball which he did.. Lo Celso saw an opportunity to try and win a penalty.. Had he stayed on his feet he may well have made it 3 for Villarreal.. No guarantees for sure.. Yet these teams that constantly dive and cheat cost themselves chances to win games time and again..
Half time came and the Diaz substitution turned the game on its head..
Fabinho:
Diaz came on and the ball just stuck with him.. The spaces were there to attack in the first half but we were well under parr.. The classic game of two halves was in full effect. Diaz drove at their defence.. Popped up all across the front line and the pressure was off our back 4..
They were pinned back and we were keeping the ball much better and in the 62 minute we struck.. Fabinho found himself wide open in the right hand side of the box after a Mo Salah through ball.. Mane was open in the middle but the Brazilian smashed it in through the keepers legs..
Diaz Made It 2:
Diaz could have scored much earlier after slicing a scissor kick over from close range but he was finding the spaces in behind their defence at ease.. It wasn't long before he scored and made it 2-2 on the night.
He once again ghosted in through their back line, timing his run perfectly to head in from a Trent AA cross.. We were well on top now and you felt the tie was over.
pillar
Mane Gets The Winner:
Villarreal now had no choice but to go at us full throttle.. Not that they threatened us really.. But the chances were coming our way thick and fast. Often breaking on them with positive numbers in our favour..
When Mane latched on to a Keita through ball he still had a bit to do.. He ran past the on rushing keeper and rounded the last man to score into an open net.. He is proving to be a top top striker Sadio.. This front 3 excites us all..
Paris Here We Come:
We had more chances to add to the scoreline late on too.. Salah & Curtis Jones a bit unlucky not to make it 4 or 5 on the night.. Yet our unbelievable team had turned things around and delivered yet again..
Let's not forget this has been a long long season. There will be bad and great performances (not usually in the same game haha!) We will now play every possible game this season which I'm sure is a record only previously matched by.. Liverpool in 2001.. Correct me if I am wrong..
And the dream is on... There are 3 more trophies to bring home... And we are in another European Cup Final in Paris... We like it there.. We never do things the easy way but that's just how we like it..
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