Liverpool advanced to the UEFA Champions League final after staging an impressive comeback to defeat Villarreal 3-2 on Tuesday night.
Result: Villarreal 2-3 Liverpool (2-5 on aggregate)
Date: 03 May 2022
Venue: Estadio de la Cerámica
Mohamed Salah, Thiago Alcantara, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho and Ibrahima Konate were all restored to the Reds line-up after being rested against Newcastle United.
Villarreal, meanwhile, were without Arnaut Danjuma as Gerard Moreno was recalled while Boulaye Dia came in for Nigeria international Samuel Chukwueze.
The decision to include Dia paid after just two minutes as he opened the scoring with a neat first-time finish after getting on the end of Etienne Capoue's cross.
Jurgen Klopp's men were certainly shell-shocked and struggled to get their usual game going, as the Yellow Submarine enjoyed a good spell of possession in the first half.
The home side went on to double their lead five minutes before the break as Capoue turned provider once again to pick out Francis Coquelin who rose above Alexander-Arnold to head into the top corner.
The six-time winners responded with a change at the start of the second half, as Luis Diaz was introduced in place of Diogo Jota.
The Reds were in the ascendency and pulled a goal back on the night as Salah played in Fabinho, who drilled the ball through Gerónimo Rulli's leg to put his side 3-2 up on aggregate.
Liverpool then levelled matters on the night and extended their lead in the tie on 68 minutes when Diaz nodded home a cross from Alexander-Arnold.
The third goal arrived in the 74th minute as another error from Rulli, who failed to clear and allowed Sadio Mane to sneak and fired into an empty net.
The Reds did have a couple more sights at goal in the latter stages of the second, with Salah going closest by dragging an effort wide, but the three goals were enough to put the Premier League side into the final.
