Villarreal 2 Liverpool 3 (May 3 2022)

[tlw content]

 

 

 

Report by

Dave Usher

 

We probably should have expected this. After all, we never make these semi finals easy. Remember when we battered Roma and somehow ended up hanging on? I think we were 5-0 up at one point in that tie weren’t we? This time the lead was only 2-0 so maybe this was inevitable. How else can you explain what happened in that first half? 

 

That opening 45 minutes was mad. Villarreal did to us what we normally do to everyone else. They outworked us, outfought us and outplayed us. They were good value for their 2-0 lead even though they didn’t exactly create a load of chances. It was partly them playing out of their skins, and mostly us being absolutely fucking shit. Virtually everyone.

 

It’s easier to name the ones I didn’t think were abysmal. That would be Konate, Fabinho and Virgil. Not that any of them were particularly good, but they weren’t bad. Everyone else though, Jesus. It’s hard to say exactly what went wrong and why. The easy explanation would be that we weren’t prepared for what they threw at us, but I can’t accept that these players will have been complacent and thought the job was done. There’s no way they’d think that and no way Klopp would let them.

 

But that’s how it looked. I just think the early goal rattled us and lifted them. And we just didn’t recover from it until we were able to get in at half time and regroup. Momentum was going against us and Villarreal rode the wave of emotion from the crowd. We know how that is, we’ve done it to the opposition countless times. This time we were on the receiving end.

 

 

This is just a teaser, click here to view the 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. 

[s(k)aturation]

Long ago, I used to get excited about the prospect of an all-England European Cup Final.

What the fuck was I thinking?

[Captain Turdseye]

I think it’s clear now that Sadio is the main man in that false #9 role, in front of both Jota and Firmino. 
 

That’s all three front positions he’s managed to nail down for himself as a Liverpool player. Whadda guy. 

[Anubis]

I think mane did ok first half, holding the ball and drawing fouls. Tried to take the sting out of them, but the midfield and defence kept bollocking it up.

[alles ist gut]

Top, top goalkeeper analysis there, Dave.

[KMD7]

Glad you mentioned that Lo Celso twat Dave though imo he was far worse than Coquelin and their Keeper. 

[CrownPaints]

I think the ref blew for a foul against Mo as the keeper seemed to have a hand on the ball as Mo kicked it. Looked borderline but let's be charitable as it was the only time he got his hands to the ball.

[rb14]

Great report Dave. Although I think you left Alisson out of your "not abysmal in the first half" list. He could do fuck all about their goals. 

[coachpotato]

As pointed out, us and doing it the hard way seem to go hand in hand, except maybe for the League title in ‘20?

Think most thought Villarreal wouldn’t keep it as intense in the second half, and that’s how it worked out.

We we’re terrible in the first half, as bad as we’ve been in several seasons, but Villarreal had the momentum from the third minute in and bullied us.

Half time was what they didn’t want, and was exactly what we needed.

Fortunately, they aren’t like us (i.e. versus Barcelona) and once Fabinho had put us ahead in the tie, they were done for and it showed by the looks on their faces.

They need a better goalkeeper, and maybe then they’ll do better, but once again the simulation and aggressiveness they produced just make it difficult to say hard luck to them, even though their supporters are sound.

So we move on to Paris, and number 7, lucky for us but not for the oil cheats hopefully!

 

 

[MOGLET]

Im fed up adding stars to my CL tattoo, it looked great with 5 in a row, then number 6 sort of knocked it out of whack, 7 is going to make it look really odd.

Maybe one either side of the top 5?

 

*****

*     *

Or

*****

**

[Jimmy Hills Chin]

20 minutes ago, MOGLET said:

Im fed up adding stars to my CL tattoo, it looked great with 5 in a row, then number 6 sort of knocked it out of whack, 7 is going to make it look really odd.

Maybe one either side of the top 5?

 

*****

*     *

Or

*****

**

Top one. Hopefully by the time Jurgen leaves us you’ll have run out of arm.

[Arnaud]

We’re so good right now, I mean, scoring three goals to get an easy win after such an abysmal first  half, it tells a lot about our balls and guts ! Hello Paris, time to have cheese and wine and get number 7. 

[TheRedMachine]

Poetry this, Dave.

 

Our best player was their keeper so I’ll give it to him, the absolute fucking dickhead. Getting in Mo’s face like that and then gifting us three goals. What a tit.

[Guest]

 

[Pete]

1 hour ago, Shooter in the Motor said:

 

Just watched this.  The looks of misery and disppointment in the faces of the BT Sport folks (round 10 minute mark)  is brilliant. Especially that twat humphrey's and fucking camel lip.  

[polymerpunkah]

Salah always the last one onto the pitch.