Departing Tottenham on loan at the end of the January transfer window, Giovani Lo Celso could not have predicted what was to come next at Villarreal. Given an opportunity to play in the Champions League once again following his switch to Estadio de la Ceramica, the Yellow Submarine are now just two games away from the showpiece final in Paris.
Liverpool stand in their way and are the clear favourites to progress from their semi-final tie, although you certainly would not rule out the Spanish side earning a place in a second successive major European final going on their run so far. Causing a major shock in the Round of 16 with a 4-1 aggregate win over Juventus, Villarreal did it again in the quarter-finals after a late goal secured a 1-1 draw at the Allianz Arena and sealed a 2-1 aggregate triumph against Bayern Munich.
Lo Celso more than played his part in both successes, notably having a hand in Arnaut Danjuma's goal in their first leg win over Bayern, before doing likewise for Samuel Chukwueze's late leveller in Germany that saw them progress. Excelling in La Liga with Real Betis before his move to Tottenham in August 2019, Lo Celso's return to Spain has seen him recapture his top form after such a frustrating time in north London.
