Liverpool will host Villarreal in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final on Thursday (April 28) at 1 a.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time). Liverpool are one of the best clubs in Europe, and they are currently on fire. On the other hand, Villarreal astonished everyone by defeating two heavyweights, Juventus and Bayern Munich in the Round of 16 and Quarter-Final stages respectively. Villarreal knocking Liverpool out of the semi-finals would be one of the biggest upsets of the season. The match preview, team news, and prediction for Liverpool vs Villarreal 2022 are discussed in this article.
Liverpool vs Villarreal 2022: Team Lineups
Brazilian forward Roberto Firmino is in doubt for this fixture as he has been struggling with a foot injury, which kept him out of the Merseyside derby on Sunday (April 24). Apart from that, the rest of the Liverpool players from the squad would be available for selection.
Predicted Starting XI (Liverpool)
Alisson Ramses Becker (GK); Trent Alexander-Arnold (RB), Ibrahima Konate (CB), Virgil van Dijk (CB), Andrew Robertson (LB); Jordan Henderson (MF), Fabinho (MF), Thiago Alcantara (MF); Mohamed Salah (FW), Sadio Mane (FW), Luis Diaz (FW).
Former Liverpool full-back Alberto Moreno and star forward Gerard Moreno are both in doubt for this match due to injury issues. Therefore, one of the major dilemmas in this fixture for Villarreal would be to pick an ideal partner for Arnaut Danjuma.
Predicted Starting XI (Villarreal):
Geronimo Rulli (GK); Juan Foyth (RB), Raul Albiol (CB), Pau Torres (CB), Pervis Estupinan (LB); Dani Parejo (MF), Francis Coquelin (MF), Etienne Capoue (MF); Giovani Lo Celso (FW), Samuel Chukwueze (FW), Arnaut Danjuma (FW)
Villarreal vs Liverpool: Head-to-Head Record
Villarreal and Liverpool have never met in the UEFA Champions League; therefore, Thursday’s match will be their first. However, both teams have previously played each other in the 2016 Europa League semi-finals. Liverpool reached the final by defeating Villarreal 3-1 on aggregate in the semi-final, but they were defeated by Sevilla in the championship match. In all, Villarreal and Liverpool have met twice in official matches, with both teams winning once.
So far, Liverpool have scored three goals against Villarreal, while Villarreal have only scored once. Villarreal’s highest goal scorer in the UCL is Arnaut Danjuma, who has six goals, whereas Liverpool’s top scorer is Mohamed Salah, who has 34.
Liverpool vs Villarreal First Leg of Semi-Final 2022: Match Prediction
Liverpool have won their previous three matches. More importantly, all those three matches were against their bitter rivals. They beat Manchester City 3-2 in the FA Cup semi-final, followed by a 4-0 win over Manchester United and a 2-0 win over Everton in the Premier League. So, the Red Devils squad has a positive vibe at the moment.
On the other hand, after drawing a UCL match against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena, Villarreal overcame Getafe 2-1 and Valencia by 2-0. So, the confidence level of the Villarreal team is also very high at the moment.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp’s ideal formation is 4-3-3. However, he prefers heavy metal football, which means high pressure, high defensive line, and fluid forward. He demands counter-pressing or gegenpressing from his players. It basically encourages players to recover the ball immediately after losing it. So, it is expected that Kloop will deploy the same tactics against Villarreal in the first leg of their semi-final match.
Villarreal head coach Unai Emery loves to build-up play and encourages his full-backs to support the attacking players. Emery usually deploys a traditional 4-4-2 system, and he was successful against both Bayern Munich and Juventus in the previous phases. However, he can also switch his system to 4-4-1-1, 4-2-3-1, or 4-3-3. It will be interesting to see what tactics Emery will deploy against Liverpool at Anfield. But one thing is certain: he will make every effort to limit the number of goals conceded.
Match Prediction: Liverpool 2-1 Villarreal
Verdict
The hosts will start as favourites in the first leg of the Liverpool vs Villarreal 2022 semi-final encounter. However, the Yellow Submarine still have a chance if they play to their full potential in both legs. To take Villarreal to the final for the first time, Unai Emery will need to craft a better plan to counter Liverpool’s, Jurgen Klopp. Despite being favourites, Liverpool will be put to the test as Villarreal attempt for the third time in a row to shock football fans.
Source: United News of Bangladesh