Liverpool 2 Villarreal 0 (Apr 27 2022)

[tlw content]

 

 

 

Report by

Dave Usher

 

It’s not meant to look that easy. It’s a Champions League semi final, and you only have to think back to some of the epics we’ve had at this stage before to know how hard these things are. Yet this looked so, so easy.

 

It wasn’t though. Villarreal are a tough opponent but we were so good that this game just looked totally one sided. Villarreal didn’t offer any kind of attacking threat but that was only partially down to their defensive set up. The main reason they didn’t threaten was because they couldn’t. They weren’t allowed to.

 

Our play without the ball in this game was just next level. Better teams than Villarreal would have struggled. Hell, better teams than Villarreal HAVE struggled. Just ask Messi.

 

The 2-0 scoreline doesn’t tell the story of this game as it was completely one sided. We should have won by more but in fairness it’s not like we missed loads of gilt edged chances. For all of our dominance I thought Villarreal hung in there and defended valiantly. They couldn’t do anything when they got the ball back but by and large they defended as well as anyone could have in the face of that relentless assault on them. 

 

Even though we didn’t score in the first half I wasn’t concerned and I thought we’d been brilliant. We didn’t create loads of chances but that was because they defended really well. We looked right at it all over the park though and if we kept that up we were always going to win.

 

Klopp went really strong with his starting line up and you can make an argument this is our best eleven. Personally I’m still saying Matip is in our best team but Konate has been so impressive that it’s a toss of coin now. Doesn’t really matter which one plays as they’re both boss.

 

To me that’s our best midfield three even though Twitter would disagree, and the front three right now is Mo and Sadio plus one, and it’s not easy leaving Diaz out is it? So yeah, really strong starting line up and we were quick out of the traps.

 

The tempo was great and lesser teams would have wilted. Lesser teams have wilted, just look at how we swept the mancs aside for example. 

 

 

This is just a teaser, click here to view full article

 

Please note that Match Reports are only available to website subscribers. Subscriptions cost just £3 a month (you need to register first) and can be purchased here. 

[alles ist gut]

Top, top “Talksport presenters are all special in some way” analysis there, Dave.

[redinblack]

Jason Cundy = Jason Cunty.

 

Its not big or clever, but I dont care, I said it.

[Anubis]

Great report. Cundy is an idiot.

 

Three points:

 

1. On the Hendo goal, even if it was spiralling the wrong side of the post, Diaz was there to make sure it finished in the net.

2. Super snide bastard, Lo Celso, being forced to play at right back by our press. Heh heh.

3, Spurs fans on their forums upset with the result, and also pissed that they got rid of Foyth and have been left with Emerson at right back.

[Josef Svejk]

"To me that’s our best midfield three even though Twitter would disagree..." 

 

Really? It's pretty obviously our best three, isn't it?

[Josef Svejk]

"There has been a fair bit of derogatory stuff about Villarreal in our media. It ranges from mild criticism of how they performed to the completely hysterical over the top nonsense spouted by Jason Cundy on Talksport." 

 

Even his Talksport colleagues who host Guardian Football Weekly were taking the piss out of that comment. Today's episode is well worth a listen, incidentally. Especially because of Sid Lowe. 

[dave u]

3 hours ago, Anubis said:

3, Spurs fans on their forums upset with the result, and also pissed that they got rid of Foyth and have been left with Emerson at right back.

 

Foyth played well I thought, but he was kicking off at the end and Trent was laughing at him. DOn't know what happened there.

 

1 hour ago, Josef Svejk said:

"To me that’s our best midfield three even though Twitter would disagree..." 

 

Really? It's pretty obviously our best three, isn't it?

 

There are fucking loads out there who want Keita over Henderson and they have the spider web chart things to back up their point.

[Anubis]

27 minutes ago, dave u said:

 

Foyth played well I thought, but he was kicking off at the end and Trent was laughing at him. DOn't know what happened there.

He was kicking off at Diaz and Klopp, Trent and Hendo went over to calm it down, culminating in Hendo telling him to shut the fuck up.

[Reckoner]

You could well have Tyson Fury in a fight, don’t put yourself down.

[dave u]

Wouldn't need to put myself down, he'd do that for me.

 

I could take Messi I reckon.

[Guest]

 

[lifetime fan]

19 hours ago, Josef Svejk said:

"There has been a fair bit of derogatory stuff about Villarreal in our media. It ranges from mild criticism of how they performed to the completely hysterical over the top nonsense spouted by Jason Cundy on Talksport." 

 

Even his Talksport colleagues who host Guardian Football Weekly were taking the piss out of that comment. Today's episode is well worth a listen, incidentally. Especially because of Sid Lowe. 

 

I don't know how anyone could listen to talkshite. 

 

GFW is always worth a listen though. 

[Josef Svejk]

3 minutes ago, lifetime fan said:

 

I don't know how anyone could listen to talkshite. 

 

GFW is always worth a listen though. 

I've never listened to it. And I listen to a lot of radio. 

[dave u]

I enjoy a bit of talksport in the car. Alan Brazil is a guilty pleasure, 'Coisty is boss and I'm always entertained by Simon Jordan.

 

Cundy and O'Hara are proper lowest common denominator radio though.

[KMD7]

8 minutes ago, dave u said:

I enjoy a bit of talksport in the car. Alan Brazil is a guilty pleasure, 'Coisty is boss and I'm always entertained by Simon Jordan.

 

Cundy and O'Hara are proper lowest common denominator radio though.

Yeah same. I work from home still and we can't get it on regular radio here so I stream it while working 

[lifetime fan]

Why do it to yourselves? 

[dave u]

It's worth it just for the "Postman Al and Parlour his pal" song every friday morning.

[KMD7]

47 minutes ago, dave u said:

It's worth it just for the "Postman Al and Parlour his pal" song every friday morning.

Ha ha yeah. They're class on Twitter as well. Always pissed up.

[Evelyn Tentions]

Albert the Moron looks tiny next to Virgil in that "Inside Anfield" clip.

[polymerpunkah]

12 hours ago, Evelyn Tentions said:

Albert the Moron looks tiny next to Virgil in that "Inside Anfield" clip.

I thought it was one of those "make a kid's wish-meet your hero" things when I first saw it.