By Sulaimon Jamiu
Liverpool will welcome the Yellow Submarines at Anfield where the stage is set for the Champions League semifinals first leg.
Manchester United and Everton, Liverpool’s two biggest rivals, have been conquered in the last week as Jurgen Klopp’s side remain in contention for an unprecedented quadruple.
Where Manchester City’s clash with Real Madrid was a meeting of two powerhouses of European football, Liverpool will surely have favoured being on this side of the draw. That is not to say Unai Emery’s Villarreal will be easy opponents of course, particularly after they beat Juventus and Bayern Munich, but the game looks to be one in which Klopp’s team will be strong favourites.
Here are the four things to know about the tie.
1. Team news:
Liverpool have little in the way of fresh injury concern, although Roberto Firmino looks likely to remain absent. The Brazilian international missed the wins over Manchester United and Everton with a foot injury and although he’s now back working outside, he is not expected to be fit for tonight.
“I don’t think [he is ready] yet,” said Klopp. “He is running outside and that’s good, obviously, but I am not sure. Maybe somebody will surprise me afterwards and tell me, ‘Yes, Bobby is in.’ [I will have] open arms, but I don’t think so.”
Jordan Henderson started on the bench for Sunday’s Merseyside derby, along with Luis Diaz, and both made telling contributions, so could potentially come into the side.
For Villarreal, Gerard Moreno is absent in a major blow to Emery. Former Arsenal midfielder Francis Coquelin, meanwhile, has recently returned to training.
2. Head to head:
Liverpool and Villarreal have come up against each other once before in the Europa League 2015-16 semifinal, wherein the Reds had come out victorious 3-1 on aggregate. This time, the Spanish side will look to avenge the loss this time around.
3. Players to look out for:
Sadio Mane, Liverpool: The Senegal International has changed his position from a winger to a striker and has adjusted like a duck to water, scoring four goals in Liverpool’s last five matches. With Mohamed Salah back to the scoring charts, the pair of Mane and Salah always remains a menace for opponents.
Arnaut Danjuma, Villarreal: The Dutchman opened the scoring for Villarreal in the Champions League quarterfinals and comes into the match, scoring a double against his team’s arch-rival Valencia. The former Bournemouth player has scored 16 goals in 33 appearances this season, six of which have come in the Champions League.
4. Predicted lineups:
Liverpool Predicted XI: Alisson Becker (GK), Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil Van Dijk, Andy Robertson,Keita, Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara, Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota, Sadio Mane.
Villarreal Predicted XI: Geronimo Rulli(GK), Juan Foyth, Raul Albiol, Pau Torres, Pervis Estupinan; Dani Parejo, Etienne Capoue, Francis Coquelin, Giovani Lo Celso, Paco Alcacer, Arnaut Danjuma
