Across the two Champions League semi finals, the level of talent on show illustrated perfectly the beauty of this magnificent game.
De Bruyne and Benzema, Liverpool’s quicksilver front three with their sublime movement and seamless interaction. It is an artform in all its wondrous glory. Yet there is an ugly truth too, because for every act of creation, there is one of destruction, as Villarreal illustrated almost perfectly for almost an hour here at Anfield. And at times like that, it sometimes takes something more than artistry to make the difference.
Step forward Jordan Henderson. In Liverpool’s pantheon of stars, he is so often overlooked, occasionally decried. For years, he has fought against his artisan label, branded unfairly a water carrier.
