It is an achievement. What Villarreal have done in this Champions League season is football history.
They are not going to play in the final. But what can be said about them, the example is huge. For everyone.
Unai Emery is a genius, Raul Albiol is a titan, Pau Torres is a top-level centre-back, Etienne Capoue and Francis Coquelin are two warriors, Dani Parejo is elite, Giovani Lo Celso is a barbarity and Gerard Moreno is all those things.
Villarreal won’t be in the final because Liverpool are better. That’s it, but the first half won’t be forgotten by anyone. Not even by Jurgen Klopp himself. There’s no way it could be.
Luis Diaz ended the dream. He stepped onto the pitch and changed everything.
The Colombian arrived at Liverpool a few months ago for around 50 million euros. And he is already looking cheap.
His entrance onto the stage was definitive. He put fear into the hosts and scored one of those goals that takes you straight to Paris. He is tremendous and should be applauded.
Liverpool began to press. It was logical that they were going to suffer on the pitch. But the Reds’ goal, with players of an extraordinary level in front of goal, came after a wonderful move.
Fabinho‘s shot slipped under Geronimo Rulli‘s legs and left the Estadio De La Ceramica in silence for a few seconds.
With Danjuma out. That’s how the semi-final started. But it was Boulaye Dia‘s day and after three minutes he scored the goal, his first in the Champions League, which changed everything. Villarreal started the match as if it were a video game.
They played and manhandled the all-powerful Liverpool while Klopp made the kind of anguished, constipated face that comes across the Reds coach’s face when the going gets tough.
Entering the game in the final stages of the first half, Lo Celso was left alone in front of Alisson Becker. The Brazilian goalkeeper came out all guns blazing and took everything with him.
It looked like a clear penalty, but the European VAR has its ways and it left the homes fans in rage at a situation that could have left the tie tied from eleven yards.
Lo Celso protested loudly, but there was no penalty. The next move Coquelin scored.
Marca
