The Champions League semi-final has arrived in what will no doubt be another incredible European night under the floodlights at Anfield as Liverpool welcome a Villarreal side looking to secure their first final in Europe's top competition just a year after winning the Europa League. Jurgen Klopp's side could well make history this season to add to the League Cup they lifted earlier this season but face a Villarreal side who have been fantastic in Europe this season.
Liverpool are the favourites for the first leg at 30/100 with Betway while Villarreal are 8/1 longshots and a draw is 9/2. The Reds have met the Yellow Submarine just twice before in Europe with both sides winning the home leg in the 2015/16 Europa League semi-finals which led to Klopp securing his first European final as Liverpool boss.
The Reds will be looking to lift the European trophy for a historic seventh time after seeing off the likes of Atletico Madrid, AC Milan and Porto in the group stages before knocking out Inter Milan and Benfica. Villarreal qualified after lifting the Europa League trophy against Manchester United who they later faced in the group stages this season along with Atalanta and Young Boys.
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Villarreal's form this season can only be best described as inconsistent as they sit outside the European places in La Liga but this appears to have played to their advantage. They have so far knocked out giants Juventus and Bayern Munich with the latter's coach Julian Nagelsmann dismissing the Yellow Submarine's threat on his side before the quarter-finals even started.
Unai Emery is well-known as a tactician and it should be underestimated going into this match but Klopp is well aware of the threat he holds against his Liverpool side and will be well prepared to face the Spanish club.
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Tips
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Team stats
Both teams in matches involving Liverpool have scored 23 times from 53 matches in all competitions including six in 10 Champions League matches. For Villarreal, both teams have scored in 23 from 47 matches in all competitions including six in 10 as well in UEFA's top club competition. Both teams to score is 21/20.
Liverpool have finished 36 matches in all competitions with three or more total goals including six matches in the Champions League. For Villarreal, they have finished 22 matches with three or more total goals in all competitions including five in Europe this season. Over 2.5 goals is 8/13.
Player to watch
You cannot get much bigger than a Champions League semi-final tie at Anfield and big games like this need big players. Fortunately, Liverpool have plenty players like this with Thiago Alcantara, Mo Salah, Diogo Jota, Roberto Firmino and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
But the main man I am backing for this match is Sadio Mane. The Senegalese winger has picked up 19 goals already this season but has picked up a number of big goals including an equaliser against Manchester City in a crucial Premier League title decider.
H2H
Both sides have never met in the Champions League but did meet twice in the Europa League back in 2016 in Klopp's first season as Liverpool boss. The semi-final clash finished 3-1 on aggregate thanks to a 3-0 win at Anfield after losing 1-0 at the Estadio de la Ceramica.
Liverpool have faced Spanish opposition 48 times in all competitions picking up 18 wins, 13 draws and 17 defeats while Villarreal have faced opponents from England 21 times in all European contests with six wins, seven draws and eight defeats. In Europe's top competition, this will be Liverpool 28th match against Spanish opposition and Villarreal's 15th against English teams with the Reds picking up eight wins, eight draws and 11 losses while the Yellow Submarine have not beaten an English side outside of the qualifying round (a double over Everton) picking up six draws and six defeats in that time.
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