Liverpool have booked their place in a 10th European Cup final after coming from two goals behind to beat Villarreal 3-2 at the Estadio La Ceramica.
Unai Emery’s Yellow Submarine produced a stunning first-half display to shock the visitors, scoring twice to get the tie back level on aggregate after Liverpool’s comfortable 2-0 win at Anfield last week.
But the introduction of January signing Luis Diaz at half-time allowed the Reds to shift a gear. Fabinho scored Liverpool’s first with a cheeky nutmeg through Geronimo Rulli’s legs and Diaz equalised with a header before Sadio Mane capped off the comeback in the 74th minute, making it 5-2 on aggregate.
The 2022 Champions League final in Paris – against either Manchester City or Real Madrid – will be their third in five years under the management of Jurgen Klopp.
“Before the game I told the boys I’d like to read the headline ‘Mentality monsters were in town’ – ‘Mentalidad monstrousa’ or whatever – because I wanted us to be the ones who went for the result and not defend,” Klopp told BT Sport after the match.
“I couldn’t see that at first but the second half was. For me it was like this because of how much we impressed on them about coming back in the second half.
“With 500 games the boys played, a completely normal thing like the first half can happen but how we reacted and how it happened is special.
“I know supporters of other clubs might have been happy with the first half and that we got a ‘knock’.
“It is really difficult to reach three finals (in one season), which is probably the reason why no one did it so far but we made it happen. When the finals show up in our schedule we will make sure we are ready for it.”
Here are 15 stats that exemplify what an incredible 2021-22 season Liverpool are having, and what a job Klopp has done in recent years.
– The 3-2 victory at Villarreal was the first time that Liverpool have been two goals behind in a Champions League…