It is one thing to be the red-hot favourites, another to make it count. Liverpool took a significant stride towards their 10th European Cup final on a night when they refused to lose sight of their plan; what has got them to the point where an unprecedented quadruple is a possibility.
Villarreal came to frustrate. It was an approach that had worked in the previous rounds, helping them to stage stunning heists to see off Juventus and Bayern Munich. With the scoreline blank at the interval, Unai Emery, the manager, had to feel he was a part of the way to further plunder.
