{"id":1260327,"date":"2022-05-03T22:09:22","date_gmt":"2022-05-03T21:09:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1260327"},"modified":"2022-05-03T22:09:22","modified_gmt":"2022-05-03T21:09:22","slug":"villarreal-liverpool-champions-league-luis-diaz","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/villarreal-liverpool-champions-league-luis-diaz\/","title":{"rendered":"“The guy\u2019s a joke\u201d \u2014 Liverpool\u2019s \u2018game-changer\u2019 Luis Diaz inspires Champions League semi-final win over Villarreal"},"content":{"rendered":"

Liverpool have booked their place in the Champions League final after coming through a stern examination from Villarreal at the Madrigal, winning 3-2 on the night and 5-2 on aggregate.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It was a game of two halves as Unai Emery’s men channeled the energy of the crowd and carved Liverpool open on two occasions in the first half, restoring parity in a contest they were never in at Anfield — and one of the goals came from the unlikeliest of sources, underpinning the utter chaos of that first half.<\/p>\n

Boulaye Dia broke the deadlock in the opening three minutes to send the home fans into raptures before Francis Coquelin scored his first ever Champions League goal, and what a time to get it, heading home on the stroke of half-time.<\/p>\n

But, a supposed rocket from Jurgen Klopp in the dressing room roused an exceptionally pedestrian Liverpool, and the quadruple aspirants came out in the second half with the bit between their teeth, placating the Madrigal and tearing the Yellow Submarine from pillar to post in typical fashion.<\/p>\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Club<\/b><\/span><\/strong><\/td>\r\nSky Bet<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Manchester City<\/strong><\/td>\r\n2\/1<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Bayern Munich<\/strong><\/td>\r\n9\/2<\/b><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Arsenal<\/strong><\/td>\r\n11\/2<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Real Madrid<\/strong><\/td>\r\n11\/2<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
PSG<\/strong><\/td>\r\n11\/1<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Barcelona<\/strong><\/td>\r\n16\/1<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Inter Milan<\/strong><\/td>\r\n20\/1<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Atletico Madrid<\/strong><\/td>\r\n22\/1<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Borussia Dortmund<\/strong><\/td>\r\n33\/1<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Napoli<\/strong><\/td>\r\n33\/1<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Real Sociedad<\/strong><\/td>\r\n50\/1<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
RB Leipzig<\/strong><\/td>\r\n66\/1<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n
You have to be 18+ to gamble. All odds within this article are accurate at the time of writing (12:30, 25\/01\/2024). GambleAware<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/h5>\r\n

\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Fabinho first netted his first Champions League goal for the Reds, capitalising on a goalkeeper blunder from Geronimo Rulli as the ball squirmed through his legs, before Luis Diaz equalised on the night and quelled frustration from the travelling Kopites.<\/p>\n

Sadio Mane put the gloss on a job well done in the second half, rounding Rulli before slotting into an empty net and confirming a trip to Paris later this month. Three different goalscorers, but there was only one man who proved the difference-maker on the night.<\/p>\n

\n

Luis D\u00edaz's game by numbers vs. Villarreal:<\/p>\n

45 minutes
100% take-ons completed
90% pass accuracy
4 touches in the opp. box
4 take-ons completed (=most)
4 shots (most)
3 x possession won
1 goal<\/p>\n

GAME. CHANGER. pic.twitter.com\/q4sNY0FJ4x<\/a><\/p>\n

— Squawka (@Squawka) May 3, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n