When the draw for the final three rounds of the 2021/22 Champions League was made, most Liverpool supporters assumed their side was destined to face Bayern Munich in the semi-final if they were able to get past Benfica.
Yet having done so, they will instead face Villarreal. Unai Emery’s team beat the German champions 2-1 on aggregate having managed the tie superbly. Bayern won the shot count 45-16 across the two legs but Villarreal edged the clear-cut chance tally 3-2 and made the most of their best moments.
While the Spanish side are the easier of the two potential opponents in theory, Emery has caused Liverpool European heartbreak in the past. He was in charge of the Sevilla side who beat the Reds 3-1 in the 2015/16 Europa League final, and there’s another link to Jurgen Klopp’s first campaign in England as Liverpool beat Villarreal in the semi-final.
