From Hell to Heaven in just 45 minutes! Villarreal pulled off the miracle by scoring the perfect two-goal goal at Theramika in the first 45 minutes and making his fans dream of an epic qualification for the Champions League final, but Liverpool restored football order in the second half.

The Reds took the reins of the game, locking the Spaniards in their shackles and not only managing to find that one goal they wanted to use to regain control (Fambino noted) but also pull off a huge upset.

Luis Dias, who made a substitution early in the second half, completely changed the Reds’ image and was the one to equalize, while in the 74th minute Santio Mane signed the surprise to give Liverpool victory and with it qualification to the Champions League final, 10th in its history.

The game

Unai Emery had stated in the press conference on the eve of the second semi-final that after losing 2-0 at Anfield to Liverpool, Villarreal needed to play the perfect game to bring the situation against Liverpool and his players struggled to justify him with the first 45 minutes in Theramika is said to be taken from the sweetest dreams of friends of the yellow submarine.

In the opening 45 minutes, Emery appeared to be the team to win the most tackles, with the hosts shutting down all of the Reds’ offensive weapons and making the most of their good phases to be rewarded with two goals.

The first came after just 2 minutes and 51 seconds of play (3rd fastest for Villarreal in the Champions League), with Estupinian taking a cross from the left, Kapou spinning from the height of the small space and finding himself in a position on the right and Boulagie Dia falling it not difficult to push the ball into the net with the neutral Allison (1:0) in front of him.

The hosts had two more good moments up until the 20th minute (Parejo shot in the 12th minute, going wide, Gerard Moreno headed in the 16th minute which was stopped in Robertson’s body), with Liverpool on their side after the 20th minute. minute the equalizer could not establish his rhythm and at the same time only had to show two shots from Thiago and Keita, which did not find a target.

In the 36th minute, Villarreal came close to scoring the second goal, but Allison saved and found Lo Celso from the height of the penalty spot to score the second for the Spaniards five minutes later, in another moment of inactivity from the Reds’ defence.

The protagonist, as in the first goal, was Capu, who this time took a cross from the right and Francis Coquelin got up, leaving Alexander-Arnold on the ground to send the ball to Allison’s right corner and make it 2-0 between the two teams went to the dressing room.

Jurgen Klopp made his first move off the bench early in the second half, passing Dias instead of Zotas, Liverpool took possession and rhythm control and created their first good moments of the game in two minutes.

In the 55th minute, an outside shot from Alexander-Arnold landed the ball on Cocklen’s body and hit the crossbar before a corner, while in the 57th minute Dias tried a direct shot from an advantageous position after a cross from Mane on the right, which Ball goes over the bar.

Those phases were a sign the Reds were waking up and confirmation came in the 62nd minute when Fambino circulated the ball outside of Villarreal’s area, teaming up with Salah to get inside and slide shot Rowley ( the ball) to win went under the feet of the Argentine goalkeeper) to 2:1.

Four minutes later Dias threatened a draw but his shot caught Kapou’s body and narrowly missed the Villarreal left bar but the Colombian’s goal came in the third period and was presented to him in the second half.

It was in the 67th minute when Alexander-Arnold advanced and left-footed a cross from the right, throwing Dias at the penalty spot and executing Ruli with his head (again the ball went under the feet of). write the 2-2.

In the 70th minute, Gerard Moreno went annoyed and somewhere there Villarreal threw a white towel, leaving Liverpool smelling blood and completely upset in the 74th minute when Mane received an assist from Keita and Rowley dodged several yards outside the box to send the ball from a side position into the defenseless home and write the 3:2 for the Reds.

That goal (15th for Mane in the Champions League knockout stages) effectively ended the qualifying affair, with Villarreal relinquishing all arms (they remained with 10 players in 86′ due to the dismissal of Kapos with a second yellow card) . map) and Liverpool to have chances of scoring more goals, staying 3-2 to the Reds and sending them through to the final in Paris with outright wins (“6-6”) in the games they gave before Anfield.

VILLA AREA: Ruli, Foit, Albiol (79′ Aurier), Torres, Estupinian (79′ Triggeros), Lo Celso, Parejo, Kapou, Coquelin (69′ Pedratha), Gerard Moreno (70′ Chuquese), Dia (79′ Alcather)

LIVERPOOL: Allison, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dyke, Robertson (81′ Tsimikas), Fambino (84′ Milner), Keita (81′ Henderson), Thiago (80′ Jones), Zota (46′ Dias), Salah, Man

The first semi-final of the Champions League

The second semi-final of the Champions League