After Overcoming Dortmund, Villarreal Provide Another Tough Test for Liverpool
ANFIELD, Liverpool — The UEFA Europa League quarter-final between Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund produced one of the most incredible games of football you are ever likely to see.
With 25 minutes remaining, Jurgen Klopp's side needed three goals—without conceding—to beat Borussia Dortmund. A Dortmund side who hadn't lost a game in 2016.
Somehow, spurred on by a passionate Anfield crowd, Liverpool scored the three goals they needed to write another chapter into the Reds' famous European history, winning 4-3 on the night and 5-4 on aggregate.
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You may have read that line before, and Klopp admitted post-match that he used the miracle of Istanbul in the 2005 UEFA Champions League final as part of his inspiration to the players at half-time.
post-match: "I told the lads, ‘I was not there but a few older Liverpool players, most of them now experts on television, were 3-0 down at half-time and won a Champions League final. So, even though it is not likely, it is possible. We should try it.’ And they did."
From 3-1 down, having earlier been 2-0 down inside the opening 10 minutes, goals from Philippe Coutinho, Mamadou Sakho and Dejan Lovren gave Liverpool the most unbelievable comeback.
Where this ranks among the club's famous Anfield European nights, time will only tell, but it's certainly up there alongside Olympiakos in 2004, Chelsea in 2005 and St Etienne in 1977.
The comparisons with that famous night in Istanbul in May 2005 are natural and will take the headlines, and the similarities were certainly apparent for more than just the three-goal comeback.
Here we had a team assembled by the previous manager but inspired by the manager appointed this season, just as Rafa Benitez's side largely consisted of Gerard Houllier's players back in 2005.
That night in Turkey saw Benitez make some surprise lineup selections, with Harry Kewell starting but being withdrawn early on through injury. At Anfield on Thursday night, it was a surprise not to see Joe Allen in the starting XI, with the Welshman's introduction helping to change the game.
Allen and Daniel Sturridge came on in the 62nd minute, with the Reds reverting to two up front and a midfield diamond. It was the formation with which Liverpool had changed to for the second half in their league game against Stoke City days earlier, and it had similar results against BVB's defence.
Sturridge and the in-form Divock Origi were too much for Dortmund's defence to handle, with Liverpool fighting for every ball in midfield and playing the two forwards in at every opportunity.
As ever, it was Liverpool's talisman, Coutinho, who hit the crucial goal that inspired the hope to make it 3-2 on 66 minutes. It had echoes of his finish against Manchester City almost exactly two years ago, a match played in a similarly intense atmosphere.
That the equalising and winning goals arrived both from the heads of centre-backs Mamadou Sakho and Dejan Lovren made this even more astounding.
Liverpool supporters, and media alike, were left shaking in disbelief. It was a night that nobody at Anfield will forget.
Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel told the assembled media post-match that he had no explanation for how his side lost the match, and like Klopp, he spoke of Istanbul and how everyone inside Anfield sensed something magical was about to happen.
Semi-Final Draw
With Dortmund dramatically disposed, Liverpool have been drawn against Spanish side Villarreal in the last four of the competition. The other semi-final sees Shakhtar Donetsk play Sevilla.
On the face of it, the draw seems ideal for Klopp's side—they avoid the long trip to Ukraine and avoid the two-times holders Sevilla.
However, Villarreal are a strong side, enjoying a very solid campaign in La Liga. Marcelino Garcia Toral's side are currently fourth in the table, behind only the big three of Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid.
The Yellow Submarine have lost just six times in the league this season and have an impressive defensive record—conceding less than Barcelona and Real this season, with only Atletico having a better defensive record. In essence, Marcelino's side are lite version of Diego Simeone's Atletico.
Indeed, this season they've taken four points from two games against Atletico, beat Real Madrid 1-0 at home, held Barcelona to a 2-2 draw at home and overcome Napoli and Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League. They are certainly no pushovers.
The deciding factor in the tie could well be that the Reds have the advantage of the second leg being at home, as they did against Dortmund.
Villarreal's record at their 25,000-seater Estadio El Madrigal is especially impressive, tasting defeat just twice in La Liga this season and conceding just 10 goals.
They aren't prolific goalscorers, but they do have a resolute defence. The problem for the Spanish side will be keeping out Liverpool's impressive attacking options.
Liverpool face Bournemouth, Everton and Newcastle United in three games across seven days before the first-leg in Castellon, and Klopp will be seeking to keep his squad fully fit and on form.
It promises to be an exciting tie, and progression will ensure a dramatic end to Klopp's first season in charge of the Reds.
* Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise stated.
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