Villarreal vs. Liverpool: Team News, Preview, Live Stream, TV Info
Villarreal and Liverpool kick off their battle for a place in the UEFA Europa League final on Thursday night, with the La Liga challengers welcoming the Reds to Estadio El Madrigal for the first leg of their semi-final clash.
Having triumphed over tournament favourites Borussia Dortmund by virtue of a 5-4 aggregate win in the quarter-finals, Liverpool will be confident of sealing a place in May's showdown at St. Jakob-Park in Basel, Switzerland, but will take on one of Spain's dark horses in Villarreal.
As Sky Sports' La Liga commentator Rob Palmer told Neil Jones of the Liverpool Echo ahead of Thursday night's clash, Villarreal are enjoying a similar rise to Premier League title favourites Leicester City, with the broadcaster highlighting how they "perform beyond their budget and expectations."
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Marcelino Garcia Toral has masterminded an upturn in fortunes for Villarreal, and his side look set to seal a fourth-placed finish in La Liga this season, behind only Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid.
But Klopp's Reds have fared considerably worse in the Premier League in 2015/16, and they head to Spain on the back of a disappointing 2-2 draw at home to Newcastle United.
However, the German has inspired an emphatic run in the Europa League—as the only side still unbeaten in European competition this season.
So can Liverpool seal another famous victory on Thursday night, or will home advantage allow Marcelino's Villarreal to battle against the odds before their trip to Anfield a week later?
Date: Thursday, 28 April
Time: 8.05 p.m. BST/ 3.05 p.m. ET
Venue: Estadio El Madrigal, Villarreal
TV Info: BT Sport Europe (UK only) / Fox Sports 1 (U.S. only)
Live Stream: BT Sport Player (UK only) / Fox Sports GO (U.S. only)
Form Lines (Last 5 Games)
Villarreal: W-W-L-L-D
Liverpool: W-W-W-W-D
Team News
Marcelino heads into Thursday's clash buoyed by the return of two key defenders in Jaume Costa and Mateo Musacchio, with the left-back and centre-back passing late fitness tests to take their place in the Villarreal squad—though neither is likely to start.
Brazilian striker Leo Baptistao—on loan from Atletico—is Marcelino's only senior absentee, with the 23-year-old ruled out with an injury that saw him miss last weekend's 0-0 draw with Real Sociedad.
With a near-fully fit squad to select from, Marcelino was in a confident mood as he addressed reporters, per the Press Association (h/t BT Sport):
"Liverpool might be the favourite—the club, their history and the fact that they knocked out Borussia Dortmund all add up—but we don't consider ourselves to be less than them.
We are going to give everything from our side to eliminate this legendary team.
We don't have any pressure on us. I'm really satisfied with and grateful to this squad for getting to this semi-final.
We are very hopeful and convinced that we are capable of beating Liverpool, and all the while we'll be enjoying the occasion.
"
Whether Musacchio will come straight into Marcelino's starting lineup remains to be seen, with the Argentinian working back to full fitness following a hamstring injury suffered in February, but Villarreal will be in great shape as they welcome Liverpool to Spain.
Meanwhile, Klopp's selection is hampered by a potentially lengthy ban to key centre-back Mamadou Sakho, with the Frenchman failing a drugs test and deciding, as relayed by BBC Sport on Wednesday, that he would not contest UEFA's charges.
This leaves Klopp to choose between Dejan Lovren, Kolo Toure, Lucas Leiva, Martin Skrtel and seldom-seen loanee Steven Caulker at centre-back as he builds his back four without Sakho.
Speaking to reporters including the Press Association (h/t This is Anfield) on Wednesday evening, Klopp approached Sakho's absence with caution:
"At this moment there is really nothing else to say. I think what they are all doing now is collecting information to clear the situation as much as possible.
Then we have to wait for the next steps. It is not that we could do anything or we could not force anything, we have to wait.
Until now we did what we thought was right, there is nothing else to say.
"
Toure started on Saturday against Newcastle, and he can be expected to feature at Estadio El Madrigal on Thursday night.
Elsewhere, Klopp welcomes back £32.5 million striker Christian Benteke, with the Belgian recovering from injury to travel to Villarreal on Wednesday, but Divock Origi (ankle), Emre Can (ankle), Jordan Henderson (knee), Danny Ings (ACL), Jordan Rossiter (hamstring) and Joe Gomez (ACL) are all out.
Ings is set to return to full training in the coming days, but he won't feature against Villarreal having been left out of Klopp's squad for the Europa League, with Gomez, Jon Flanagan and Tiago Ilori similarly restricted.
Predicted Lineups
Marcelino is unlikely to make many alterations to the side that was held to a 0-0 draw by Real Sociedad on Sunday evening, with only three spots in his starting lineup liable to change.
In goal, Paris Saint-Germain loanee Alphonse Areola will challenge Sergio Asenjo for the No. 1 shirt, and with Areola having spent much of the season as Villarreal's first-choice stopper, the youngster could get the nod on Thursday night.
Ahead of Areola, Mario Gaspar, Victor Ruiz, Eric Bailly and Antonio Rukavina should make up Villarreal's back four, with Musacchio, Costa and former AC Milan centre-back Daniele Bonera available as backup.
Captain and midfield inspiration Bruno Soriano is a certainty to start, alongside one of Tomas Pina and Manu Trigueros, with Denis Suarez and Jonathan dos Santos poised to start on the flanks.
Villarreal's attacking drive throughout 2015/16, former Tottenham Hotspur striker Roberto Soldado and leading goalscorer Cedric Bakambu, will continue their successful run at the focal point of Marcelino's 4-4-2.
With Sakho omitted and Can, Henderson and Origi injured, Klopp's selection is relatively straightforward, though it will depend on the 48-year-old's formation of choice—and if the Reds' clash away to Dortmund in the quarter-finals can be used as a reference point, the German could opt for a compact 4-3-3.
Simon Mignolet is likely to continue his run in goal, despite a worrying error against the Magpies on Saturday, with Nathaniel Clyne and Alberto Moreno set to flank Lovren and Toure in defence.
If Klopp fields a three-man midfield, Lucas, James Milner and Joe Allen are his likely trio, with the Brazilian operating in the holding role and Milner and Allen assuming box-to-box duties in support of the Liverpool attack.
While he has problems in defence and midfield, Origi's absence is the only recent blow to Klopp's attacking ranks, and Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino, Adam Lallana and Daniel Sturridge could fight for starting spots in the Reds' three-pronged forward line.
Likely Villarreal XI: Areola; Mario, Ruiz, Bailly, Rukavina; Dos Santos, Soriano, Trigueros, Suarez; Bakambu, Soldado.
Likely Liverpool XI: Mignolet; Clyne, Lovren, Toure, Moreno; Lucas, Milner, Allen; Firmino, Coutinho, Sturridge.
Players to Watch
Cedric Bakambu
French striker Bakambu has been in sensational form throughout 2015/16, forging a strong partnership with Soldado and scoring 22 goals in 47 appearances in all competitions—including nine in 11 Europa League games.
The pacy, dynamic forward to Soldado's experienced, creative foil, the 25-year-old will look to burst through the lines to penetrate the Liverpool back line, and without the front-footed Sakho, this could prove troublesome.
Enjoying a breakout campaign at El Madrigal, all eyes will be on Bakambu at the business end of the season, with potential suitors likely watching his progress as the summer transfer window approaches.
Philippe Coutinho
Throughout Liverpool's emphatic Europa League run, Brazilian playmaker Coutinho has served as their attacking inspiration.
The Reds' No. 10 produced match-winning performances over both Manchester United and Dortmund en route to the semi-finals, with a goal and an assist at Anfield against Klopp's former side driving a remarkable comeback.
Reaching elite status at the age of 23, Coutinho is poised to grow in influence in Klopp's attacking line, and he will be keen to continue his strong form with a decisive performance away to Villarreal.
Key Battle
Roberto Soldado vs. Lucas Leiva
"Now he seems to be as a total striker," Marcelino said of Soldado in October, in an interview with Spanish publication El Pais (h/t Villarreal USA). "He drives counter-attacks, participates in the three-quarters area, makes good decisions, follows up, passes well. He is a team player and has a great winning character."
Putting a disappointing spell with Spurs behind him, the former Valencia man has grown into a key role in the Villarreal forward line, dropping deep to kick off attacks and allowing Bakambu to forge into the space ahead of him.
In order to counter the threat posed by Soldado, Liverpool defensive midfielder Lucas will need to be at his best, tracking the 30-year-old and shackling him before he is able to flex his creative muscles.
Without Lucas, Villarreal's two-man attack of Soldado and Bakambu could overwhelm the Reds' central pairing.
Odds
Villarreal: 23/15
Liverpool: 21/10
Draw: 19/8
Odds via Oddschecker and correct at time of writing.
Statistics via Transfermarkt.co.uk.
