Liverpool never forgives, sometimes it may cost a little more, sometimes it may take longer than expected, it may find a solid wall in front of you, but in the end the destination is the same, Liverpool ends up prevailing, as it did against Villarreal, who resisted as long as they could, and ended up losing 2-0, in the semifinal first leg of the Champions League.
Liverpool with all its weapons
The match was a battle between a warrior in red, with a sword, tanks, cannons and a spear named Luis Díaz, and another in yellow that resisted as best it could, entrenched. Liverpool brought out all the tricks, tricks and methods it knows to reach the goal, to break the wall: its changes of front, its mobility, its incessant dominance, it appealed to the surprise that Díaz gives, which generated in the first part two dangerous shots that the goalkeeper avoided.
Díaz, once again the starter, fought a particular duel with side Foyth. First he gave him a dance until the Argentine took his step and became his big hindrance. They danced together the whole match.
And meanwhile, everything happened in the yellow area, in a recital without a goal. Salah’s center that Mané headed outside. Mané’s pass that Salah also kicked outside. Díaz’s pass and Mané’s fantasy volley, and out. Diaz’s center and a Salah missile that deflected a rival flying kick, and outside. It was as if the wind blew in each attack, a defensive wind, yellow, because that ball always went just short. Villarreal was a submarine without weapons, only a hard shell, a submarine that survived all the English torpedoes.
the goals came
In the second half, Díaz began to move to the center, to see if he could get rid of his faithful marker. In one of those he succeeded, he suddenly found himself very free in the area, the ball went to his head and his shot on goal was very soft. The ball didn’t go in, I didn’t want to.
A rival had to come to break the curse. They were 52 minutes, and it’s hard to believe that Liverpool takes 52 minutes to score a goal or force an own goal, as it happened. Henderson pretended that he was shooting a center, but oh surprise, it was not a center, the ball had poison, it grazed Estupiñán, who confused his own goalkeeper, and inside.
Liverpool finally won, the pressure was lifted, Anfiled had a second life, it vibrated to make Villarreal feel that it really was a visitor and that even though it was 52 minutes into the game, this was just beginning.
And Villarreal bowed. The armor cracked into a thousand pieces, because at the moment the following goal arrived: Salah gave a millimetric pass to Mané, his faithful companion, and this time the explosive couple did not fail, the Senegalese caressed the ball at the right moment so that the interfering wind would no longer deflect it. And 2-0.
The rest of the match was the same tune, Liverpool attacking, Villarreal holding on, Díaz had another couple of shots, one that was deflected and another that did not find a destination. He left at minute 81, head held high. He had a great match. Now to wait for the return, in Spain, to see if Liverpool seals its way to the final.
PAUL ROMERO
Editor of THE TIME
@pabloRomeroET
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