(Cricket news) Liverpool defeated Villarreal 2-0 in the 1st leg of the UCL semi final. The result is a very positive one for the Merseyside club to take to La Ceramica next week. The game was very tight in the first half but in the end Liverpool deserved the victory. The Reds should have scored more goals with the amount of chances they had. Villarreal on the other hand didn't create any chances as they had just 1 shot which was also not on target. It will be one of the biggest comebacks in the history of the UCL if Villarreal do manage to turn this around in the return leg.
The game played out exactly the way one would have imagined. Liverpool had 73% possession of the ball and 5 shots on target. Villarreal were expected to be defensive but the home side didn't concede a single big chance. The 2 corners that the yellow Submarine had couldn't beat the first man. Unai Emery will definitely be disappointed with his side as they couldn't create any sort of chance even from set pieces which is supposed to be their main weapon. The first half was pretty frustrating for Liverpool as they couldn't break Villarreal's wall despite numerous attempts.
The deadlock was broken in the 53rd minute as Jordan Henderson's cross deflected off Pervis Estupinan and found its way past Geronimo Rulli. The goal was a very unlucky one to concede but the shot stopper could've done a little better. One brought two as moments later Mohamed Salah beautifully set up Sadio Mane who doubled the advantage. Villarreal couldn't manage to hold the ball for longer periods despite being two goals down. Gerard Moreno was a big miss for the away side as he would have been a real threat going forward. Giovanni Lo Celso who had a few good passages of play couldn't use his full potential as he was played out of position on the right wing and had a lot of defensive work to do.
Thiago had an absolutely incredible game in the center of midfield. The midfielder expertly controlled the pace of the game with his link up play and sleek passing. He had 96% pass accuracy and also hit the woodwork once. The full back duo of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson were flying once again as their attacking threat was too much for Villarreal to deal with. Their presence alone was enough to put the away team's wingers on the back foot throughout the game. The front three of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz is starting to take shape as they look to be Jurgen Klopp's first choice attackers at the moment.
Also read: UCL classic between Manchester City and Real Madrid ends 4-3
