Villarreal - Liverpool: confirmed teams | Champions League semi-final second leg
A trip to UEFA’s showpiece final in Paris is in sight, with just one game to go to clinch a place. But which players have been chosen by Emery and Klopp?
Liverpool remain in contention to collect an unprecedented four titles, and coming into the semi-final second leg against Villarreal, two goals to the good, are sitting favourites for both the Champions League and the FA Cup, already having the English League Cup in the trophy cabinet. I took a look at how their season has arrived at this point and what it means.
Villarreal vs Liverpool: starting teams announced
But we’ve all seen too much football over the years to simply follow the bookmaker odds, especially when it comes to knockout tournaments. So to the Valencian region and a game at a rather soggy Estadio de la Cerámica tonight. Those that believe this weather to suit the English team - you know, the same people that used to ask if Lionel Messi could do it on a wet night in Stoke - would do well to remember that the Spanish seasons (forget about the Canary Islands, which are over 1,000 km south of the mainland!) bring all types of conditions for players to deal with. Instead the heavy rain could act as a ‘leveller’ to the clear gulf in class of both teams, potentially providing some hope for the noisy, and very yellow, home support.
So to the teams. Here is how Unai Emery has lined his starting XI up for their latest grand conquest.
Villarreal starting XI to play Liverpool
Rulli; Foyth, Albiol, Pau Torres, Estupiñán; Capoue, Parejo, Coquelin, Lo Celso; Dia, Gerard Moreno.
And Jürgen Klopp continues to manage his high-flying squad with eyes on a tenth European Cup/Champions League final.
Liverpool starting XI to play Villarreal
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Keita, Thiago; Jota, Salah, Mané.
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