Another Champions League semi-final 16 years later, another English rival. Another big night in Villarreal before the outcome against Liverpool, who go to the Ceramic Stadium with double the advantage (2-0) that Arsenal had in their day. A much more complex tie, not only because of the goal difference, but also because of the power of the Anfield Reds, a more finished and complete team.
Nothing dissuades Villarreal from dreaming of a historic night, one of which they have been collecting in their short European history. “I would tell the fans to enjoy even before the match starts. Have fun, this has only happened once in the history of the club”, said Pau Torres. He would do it as a fan groguet which is for being born in the locality. But he will not enjoy it, pending as he will have to be from Liverpool’s fearsome forward.
Torres predicted “a long game & rdquor ;, for the time being limited to 90 regulation minutes. The central defender from Castellón understands that a simple goal puts Villarreal squarely in the tie. The minute doesn’t matter. The sooner the better, of course.
“The match will be long. I would tell the fans to enjoy, that this has only happened once in the history of the club”
Pau Torres / Villarreal Defender
“There is no ideal script against a single goal”, insisted the defender, subscribing to the motto that Geronimo Rulli already expressed as soon as he lost at Anfield. “We have all confidence & rdquor ;, proclaimed the goalkeeper. Less than a week later, Torres assured that “We are a better team” and insisted that Villarreal have a game plan. It will not differ much from the one used successfully against Juventus or Bayern, although on those occasions Villarreal remained armed waiting to execute a deadly counterattack.
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It was the same idea as Anfield. The solid defense was broken in two fateful minutes (from 53 to 55) in which Liverpool obtained the advantage that it will defend (that is to say) on the pitch. «We have to make a perfect game; a tremendous defensive game and then being able to find our game, ”said Emery.
“We have to play a perfect game; a tremendous defensive game and then be able to find our game”
Unai Emery / Villarreal manager
Jürgen Klopp affected a cautious message. “If I was younger, I would have been very angry with the question,” he replied at the Liverpool press conference, about whether the tie was settled. “Of course not, we are only in the middle. We have to try to win, knowing that they will go with everything they have. We are going to suffer,” Klopp said, ignoring, for example, that Liverpool have not lost any away games (11 wins and 2 draws) this year. “We don’t win games by going back and fighting back. We try to be ourselves and we have to do it again,” said the coach, on the verge of Liverpool’s 10th European Cup final.