The omens may not look good to some, as Liverpool were beaten convincingly 3-1 by Swansea this weekend whilst second leg Europa League semi-final opponents Villarreal secured Champions League football.
Villarreal’s 2-0 win at their regional rivals Valencia guaranteed they will finish fourth in the Spanish league, giving the club a Champions League playoff spot next season with a 6 point lead over Athletic Bilbao.
Roberto Soldado was the only player to return to Villarreal’s starting 11 from the first-leg win over Liverpool and the former Valencia striker excelled as a playmaker, setting up Samuel García’s 14th- minute opener before López continued his strong form with another goal cued by Soldado in the 33rd.
However, Liverpool played with a very different side that will face the Spanish outfit at Anfield on Thursday. The Reds are expected to go all out to qualify for the final, as winning the Europa League is their best chance of gaining European football next season.
Klopp’s men fell behind in the tie due to an injury time winner, despite it looking comfortable at times for his side during the match. I can’t see Villarreal being able to cope when the kitchen sink is launched on Thursday. Dortmund struggled and they were a far better side than Villarreal.
Source: DSG