Those who hoped to see Liverpool tremble at home must have been quickly disillusioned. Surprisingly qualified for the semi-finals of the Champions League after eliminating Juventus and Bayern Munich, Villarreal did not show an attractive face in Liverpool on Wednesday April 27. The Spanish team lost 2-0 at Anfield, without being convincing and even less exciting. Against the Reds, the yellow submarine seems even more in danger before the return match on Tuesday than the poster already suggested. However, the reasons for hope are there for the little thumb of the last four.
Because Villarreal scores (almost) always
The observation seems at first glance pitiless, and unappealing. No, Villarreal did not even seem to be really level in the first leg, contenting themselves with locking their goal as long as possible, and hoping to take advantage of counterattacks … which never came.
The figures speak for themselves: a single shot, no clear chance, and only 27% possession… In short, Liverpool rolled over their opponent.
Villarreal accumulated 0.00(xG) against Liverpool in the second half this evening.
— The xG Philosophy (@xGPilosophy) April 27, 2022
However, it is difficult to imagine that such a scenario could repeat itself a second time. Before this rout, Villarreal had scored at least one goal in nine of their ten Champions League games. If he resumes his good habits, the Spanish club will therefore be able to believe in qualification.
Because coming up with two goals at home in C1 is deja vu
While he recognized Liverpool’s superiority on Wednesday, Unai Emery was just as lucid about the prospects offered by his team’s result at Anfield. “The 2-0 is a clear, deserved result, but it could have been worse. It gives us a chance with another home game, we are still alive.“With the abolition of the away goal rule, the deal could be even less difficult for Villareal.
Seeing a team come up two goals in a two-way confrontation is anything but incongruous. Unai Emery knows it better than anyone: he has already succeeded with Sevilla FC, in the knockout stages of the Europa League in 2014, against neighboring Betis. The Spanish technician could just as well evoke more painful memories of a 6-1 evening suffered at Camp Nou with Paris Saint-Germain, in March 2017…
At la Cerámica, it’s another story
Among the most notable elements illustrating the “anomaly” Villarreal at this level of the C1, its stadium, the Cerámica, is a second-rate enclosure with only 23,500 spectators. But the ex-Madrigal exudes a special fervor and atmosphere, just like his club. It is not trivial if at home, the yellow submarine looks much better. Villarreal have only two defeats at home in La Liga this season, and have the best attack (tied with Real Madrid) in the Spanish league.
/2022/05/02/phpZ5XWis.jpg)
“At home it will be a different gamepromised Unai Emery on Wednesday. We played well in the Champions League at our stadium and I hope we can do it again. We can score and get the equalizer.“
Unai Emery, between European DNA and tactical mastery
With Unai Emery on his bench, the Spanish club has a valuable asset in continental games. “Villarreal probably have the most successful European Cup manager in world football“, insisted his Liverpool counterpart, Jürgen Klopp before the first leg. Since his debut in European competitions with Valencia in 2009, Emery has a flattering record: 27 qualifications in home and away confrontations, 40 wins in 72 games, and a almost insolent success in the Europa League with four trophies.
“To be competitive is to adapt to the reality of the adversaryhe explained in May 2018 to the site The Tactical Room (article in Spanish). Sometimes you win because you use the ball better, and sometimes you have to adapt and give up having it.“So count on Unai Emery to offer a very different Villarreal on Tuesday.
The 50-year-old coach could also recover his center forward Gerard Moreno, so precious in his recovery game. In previous return matches, the Spanish international had opened the scoring from the penalty spot in Turin in the round of 16, before being the decisive passer in Munich in the quarters. Dreams of another big European night are anything but impossible.