Liverpool survived a first-half scare to reach the Champions League final with a 3-2 win at Villarreal on Tuesday, for a 5-2 aggregate victory, after the night had threatened to turn sour for Juergen Klopp`s side.

The visitors fell 2-0 down with an insipid first-half performance before fighting back with three goals in a 12-minute spell after the break to advance to their third European Cup final in five seasons.

The Premier League side had won 2-0 in England but looked in danger of coming unstuck on a rain-soaked pitch in Spain, as the hosts pegged them back with goals from Boulaye Dia and Francis Coquelin.

Liverpool, however, came out transformed after halftime and goals from Fabinho, Luis Diaz and Sadio Mane sealed the deal, with Villarreal ending the match with 10 men following a late red card for Etienne Capoue.

Klopp`s side will meet either Real Madrid or Manchester City, who contest the second leg of their semi-final on Wednesday, in the showpiece in Paris on May 28. City lead 4-3 from the first leg.

Roared on by their faithful fanbase who were packed into their modest stadium, Villarreal opened the scoring after three minutes with a close-range strike from Dia that was greeted by a chant of "Yes we can!" from the home supporters.

Villarreal had been lifeless in the first leg at Anfield, but looked a completely different team as they tore into Liverpool with the same aggressive game that had knocked out Juventus in the last 16 and beaten Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.

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Their relentless pressure forced Liverpool into mistakes they do not usually make, with the visitors` passing accuracy of 66% the lowest they have managed in the first half of a game in all competitions this season.

Villarreal levelled the tie with a close-range header from Coquelin and looked on the verge of a miracle comeback. 
The hosts even had a penalty appeal waved away by referee Danny Makkelie in the 38th minute when Liverpool keeper Alisson Becker came out to smother the ball and then bundled into Giovani Lo Celso inside the area.

Yet Klopp brought Diaz off the bench at the break and the in-form Colombian winger changed the dynamic of the game, finding space and taking advantage of a Villarreal side that seemed to have run out of gas. As the Liverpool pressure mounted, it felt like only a matter of time until they scored and the goal eventually came following a brilliant combination between Fabinho and Mohamed Salah on the right side.

The Brazilian midfielder recovered a loose ball close to the Villarreal area, passed two defenders before playing a one-two with the Egyptian. Salah teed him up with a pass between three defenders that left him alone to score with a low, angled shot that went between the legs of Villarreal keeper Geronimo Rulli, who endured a difficult game.

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iverpool smelled blood and went for the jugular, led by Diaz who ghosted into the middle of the box to head Trent Alexander-Arnold`s cross easily past the goalkeeper in the 67th minute. Seven minutes later Rulli tried to clear a long pass to Mane outside the area and completely missed the ball, leaving the Senegalese forward all alone to finish into the empty net.

Capoue, who had a enjoyed a great first half with two assists, was dismissed with five minutes remaining, receiving a second yellow card for a late challenge on Curtis Jones.

"The early goal didn`t help us, it helped them massively, so we had to dig deep, we had to be very mature. And obviously second half, we played outstanding," Liverpool centre back Virgil van Dijk said, adding that Klopp had given them clear instructions at halftime.

"(We needed to) play football, play the Liverpool way, as we have been playing basically all season. Get on the ball, have a lot of movement on the ball but also behind the last line, they play a high line, so with the speed we have, we have to mix that up as well," he said.

Liverpool survived a first-half scare to reach the Champions League final with a 3-2 win at Villarreal on Tuesday, for a 5-2 aggregate victory, after the night had threatened to turn sour for Juergen Klopp`s side.

Liverpool survived a first-half scare to reach the Champions League final with a 3-2 win at Villarreal on Tuesday, for a 5-2 aggregate victory, after the night had threatened to turn sour for Juergen Klopp`s side. The visitors fell 2-0 down with an insipid first-half performance before fighting back with three goals in a 12-minute spell after the break to advance to their third European Cup final in five seasons. The Premier League side had won 2-0 in England but looked in danger of coming unstuck on a rain-soaked pitch in Spain, as the hosts pegged them back with goals from Boulaye Dia and Francis Coquelin. Liverpool, however, came out transformed after halftime and goals from Fabinho, Luis Diaz and Sadio Mane sealed the deal, with Villarreal ending the match with 10 men following a late red card for Etienne Capoue. Klopp`s side will meet either Real Madrid or Manchester City, who contest the second leg of their semi-final on Wednesday, in the showpiece in Paris on May 28. City lead 4-3 from the first leg. Roared on by their faithful fanbase who were packed into their modest stadium, Villarreal opened the scoring after three minutes with a close-range strike from Dia that was greeted by a chant of "Yes we can!" from the home supporters. Villarreal had been lifeless in the first leg at Anfield, but looked a completely different team as they tore into Liverpool with the same aggressive game that had knocked out Juventus in the last 16 and beaten Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals. Also Read: UEFA bans Russian clubs from next season's Champions League amid Ukraine invasion Their relentless pressure forced Liverpool into mistakes they do not usually make, with the visitors` passing accuracy of 66% the lowest they have managed in the first half of a game in all competitions this season. Villarreal levelled the tie with a close-range header from Coquelin and looked on the verge of a miracle comeback. The hosts even had a penalty appeal waved away by referee Danny Makkelie in the 38th minute when Liverpool keeper Alisson Becker came out to smother the ball and then bundled into Giovani Lo Celso inside the area. Yet Klopp brought Diaz off the bench at the break and the in-form Colombian winger changed the dynamic of the game, finding space and taking advantage of a Villarreal side that seemed to have run out of gas. As the Liverpool pressure mounted, it felt like only a matter of time until they scored and the goal eventually came following a brilliant combination between Fabinho and Mohamed Salah on the right side. The Brazilian midfielder recovered a loose ball close to the Villarreal area, passed two defenders before playing a one-two with the Egyptian. Salah teed him up with a pass between three defenders that left him alone to score with a low, angled shot that went between the legs of Villarreal keeper Geronimo Rulli, who endured a difficult game. Also Read: 'I'm not finished': Ronaldo sends message to Man Utd fans after 3-0 win over Brentford - WATCH iverpool smelled blood and went for the jugular, led by Diaz who ghosted into the middle of the box to head Trent Alexander-Arnold`s cross easily past the goalkeeper in the 67th minute. Seven minutes later Rulli tried to clear a long pass to Mane outside the area and completely missed the ball, leaving the Senegalese forward all alone to finish into the empty net. Capoue, who had a enjoyed a great first half with two assists, was dismissed with five minutes remaining, receiving a second yellow card for a late challenge on Curtis Jones. "The early goal didn`t help us, it helped them massively, so we had to dig deep, we had to be very mature. And obviously second half, we played outstanding," Liverpool centre back Virgil van Dijk said, adding that Klopp had given them clear instructions at halftime. "(We needed to) play football, play the Liverpool way, as we have been playing basically all season. Get on the ball, have a lot of movement on the ball but also behind the last line, they play a high line, so with the speed we have, we have to mix that up as well," he said.

Liverpool fight back to beat Villarreal 3-2, reach Champions League final

Villarreal aim to rekindle the spirit that saw off Juventus and Bayern Munich when they bid to overturn a 2-0 deficit in their Champions League semi-final second leg against Liverpool on Tuesday.

A 2-1 La Liga loss to lowly Alaves was not ideal preparation and coach Unai Emery knows how hard it will be to beat Liverpool, who have only lost three matches this season in all competitions and none by more than two goals.

"We will need a perfect game to achieve what no other team in Europe accomplished against Liverpool this season," Emery told a news conference on Monday.

"Overturning a two-goal deficit is already complicated against any rivals and much more when your opponent is a team that is almost flawless. We benefit that away goals are not worth double anymore so it gives us more freedom to attack," he added.

"Homefield advantage there was key and I hope it work the same for us here. We need to be impeccable on defence, better than in Anfield. And we need to find our game, something that we have not achieved in the first leg."

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After eliminating former champions Juventus in the last 16 and Bayern in the quarter-finals, the former Paris St Germain and Arsenal manager believes his team are capable of delivering another shock.

"I want my players and the fans to face the challenge with pride," Emery said.

"Football is about feelings, and we feel a great connection to our fan base, being from a small industrial town. I truly believe we have what it takes to present Liverpool something they didn’t experience this season so far."

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Defender Pau Torres, born a few miles from Villarreal’s training facility, echoed his coach`s upbeat mood.

"There is no ideal script to a game like this. We need one goal to get us back at the fight and that’s what we need to look for," Torres said.

"It doesn`t matter how it is achieved. We need a goal at any time and the tie will be open again. That’s our mantra."

Villarreal aim to rekindle the spirit that saw off Juventus and Bayern Munich when they bid to overturn a 2-0 deficit in their Champions League semi-final second leg against Liverpool on Tuesday.

Villarreal aim to rekindle the spirit that saw off Juventus and Bayern Munich when they bid to overturn a 2-0 deficit in their Champions League semi-final second leg against Liverpool on Tuesday. A 2-1 La Liga loss to lowly Alaves was not ideal preparation and coach Unai Emery knows how hard it will be to beat Liverpool, who have only lost three matches this season in all competitions and none by more than two goals. "We will need a perfect game to achieve what no other team in Europe accomplished against Liverpool this season," Emery told a news conference on Monday. "Overturning a two-goal deficit is already complicated against any rivals and much more when your opponent is a team that is almost flawless. We benefit that away goals are not worth double anymore so it gives us more freedom to attack," he added. "Homefield advantage there was key and I hope it work the same for us here. We need to be impeccable on defence, better than in Anfield. And we need to find our game, something that we have not achieved in the first leg." Also Read: Barcelona reclaim second spot in La Liga, defeat Real Mallorca 2-1 at Camp Nou After eliminating former champions Juventus in the last 16 and Bayern in the quarter-finals, the former Paris St Germain and Arsenal manager believes his team are capable of delivering another shock. "I want my players and the fans to face the challenge with pride," Emery said. "Football is about feelings, and we feel a great connection to our fan base, being from a small industrial town. I truly believe we have what it takes to present Liverpool something they didn’t experience this season so far." Also Read: Premier League: Son Heung-min double against Leicester boosts Tottenham's top-four hopes Defender Pau Torres, born a few miles from Villarreal’s training facility, echoed his coach`s upbeat mood. "There is no ideal script to a game like this. We need one goal to get us back at the fight and that’s what we need to look for," Torres said. "It doesn`t matter how it is achieved. We need a goal at any time and the tie will be open again. That’s our mantra."

Villarreal seek perfection to beat near flawless Liverpool in Champions League semi-finals

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Liverpool fight back to beat Villarreal 3-2, reach Champions League final

Villarreal seek perfection to beat near flawless Liverpool in Champions League semi-finals