Villarreal will step into Anfield with the advantage of a first leg victory firmly behind them. Jurgen Klopp’s men will again be compelled to come from behind and win convincingly in order to progress to the finals of the UEFA Europa League on the evening.
With Anfield set to ignite itself on what promises to be a special European night and Liverpool focused on the task at hand, this promises to be an absolute blockbuster of an encounter.
Kickoff and Live Telecast
Channel: Ten 2
Date and Time: 6th May 2016, 12:35 A.M. IST
Venue: Anfield, Liverpool
Live Streaming: http://www.tensports.com/footballBetting Odds: Liverpool 3/4; Draw 14/5; Villarreal: 17/4 via Bet365
Team News
Liverpool have been handed a huge boost by the unexpected return of Emre Can in the squad. The German midfielder may not be fit enough to start but could be a surprise inclusion in the eleven if Jurgen Klopp decides to really go for it this evening. Daniel Sturridge is set to start alongside a number of others who were rested for the game against Swansea in the weekend.
Eric Bailly, the center back, is the only fresh doubt for Villarreal for this game which works well for Mateo Musacchio who is contention to start the game after doing so in the weekend. Villarreal have no other concerns and are set to name their best eleven after having rested several players in the weekend against Valencia.
Probable Lineups
Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Mignolet; Clyne, Lovren, Toure, Moreno; Lucas, Milner; Coutinho, Firmino, Lallana; Sturridge
Villarreal (4-4-2): Areola; Costa, Ruiz, Musacchio, Mario; Suarez, Bruno, Pina, Castillejo; Soldado, Bakambu
Form
Valencia came to feel the full force of Villarreal’s ability in the weekend as the Yellow Submarine ran out 2-0 winners at the Mestalla. The result was particularly impressive considering Marcelino made as many as 8 changes to his regular starting line-up and started what was essentially a second string side. Added to their victory against Liverpool last week, Villarreal have 2 wins, 2 losses, and a draw in their last 5 games.
Last 5 Matches: L-L-D-W-W ( Last match: Valencia 0-2 Villarreal)
Liverpool come into this game having faced back to back defeats in away games to Villarreal and Swansea. A second string Liverpool squad was worse for the wear against a full strength Swansea team on the weekend as Jurgen Klopp’s boys lost the game 3-1. In the last five games, Liverpool boast the same record as Villarreal only their last two games have resulted in defeat.
Last 5 Matches: W-W-D-L-L (Last match: Swansea 3-1 Liverpool)
What the Managers Say
Liverpool
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is bullish on his side’s chances as the Liverpool faithful promises to transform Anfield into a cauldron for this game.
"If we play our best then we can go to the final," said Klopp. "These players gave me a lot of positive signs about their qualities.
"We are ready. All we did since October was to be perfectly prepared for a game like this. We are not expecting a guarantee to go to the final. We are expecting everything and see what we get for it."
Villarreal
Marcelino betrays no fear of coming to Anfield if he or his side have any. They are by his admission there to enjoy themselves.
"We come here full of hope," said Marcelino. "We are going to give everything we have got and enjoy ourselves. We feel we have the capabilities to make it through to the final."
Key Stats:
- Liverpool have only lost once in their entire Europa League campaign.
- Villarreal are undefeated in their last 12 Europa League games.
- There have been under 2.5 goals on average scored in 7 of Liverpool’s last 8 Europa League games,
- Villarreal have only beaten English opposition once in 11 matches in Europe.
Key Battles:
Philippe Coutinho vs Mario Gaspar
This was a battle that flattered to deceive the last time around as Philippe Coutinho could not manage to turn on his game against the Spain international. However, on this night when Anfield is set to be supercharged, the Brazilian magician could be in the mood to cast a spell or two.
Mario Gaspar produced a decent display the last time around and ended up silencing his opponent on the night albeit without much trouble. On this night, however, you could find the entire setup to be a little different with Liverpool set to really ‘throw the kitchen sink’ at Villarreal. It will prove to be a real test for Gaspar on the evening.
This is probably going to be a key battle on the night as it is totally going to be a game of attack vs defense going by the look of things. This promises to be a treat for the neutral.
Daniel Sturridge vs Mateo Musacchio
On a night when Liverpool will look for goals, Daniel Sturridge will look to be their main man. The English international was a surprise exclusion from the Liverpool starting eleven at El Madrigal and it didn’t seem like a particularly inspired decision in lieu of the result. But on a night when Jurgen Klopp has promised to hit Villarreal with the ‘Kitchen Sink’, Sturridge could be key.
Mateo Musacchio has had a good season and was missing for the last game against Liverpool via fitness problems. This time, however, he is set to start the game and could face the tough task of dealing with a driven Daniel Sturridge. On this night, Villarreal will look to soak pressure and capture a crucial away goal on the counter, so one can expect that Musacchio will have his hands full.
Prediction
A special night at Anfield beckons but Villarreal are a tough team to break down, Liverpool will probably win the game but you can expect Villarreal to snatch a crucial away goal and progress to the final.
Liverpool 2-1 Villarreal
Betting odds
Liverpool win: 8/11
Draw: 14/5
Villareal win: 9/2
