Impressive Mané in 9, the Reds midfielder who rules the roost, Danjuma ghostly… Find the Tops and Flops of Liverpool’s victory against the “Yellow Submarine” (2-0).
TOPS
Mané, successful conversion to number 9
Sadio Mané was once again dominant in Liverpool’s victory on Wednesday (2-0). First frustrated in the first half by not framing a header within six meters (12th), before seeing his volley blocked by Albiol and narrowly missing Rulli’s goal (33rd). The Senegalese international was very mobile and he ended up scoring the break goal for Liverpool with a sharp right from a pass from Mohamed Salah (55th). Increasingly established as number 9, Mané gives full satisfaction to Jürgen Klopp in this position and has combined very well with Salah. Sadio Mané has scored 9 goals in 10 games in all competitions as a centre-forward.
The boss-sized Reds midfielder
The trio of midfielders Alcantara, Fabinho and Henderson feasted on the lawn of Anfield. The three made themselves available and dominated the midfield head and shoulders. Fabinho played very high, threw himself and recovered many balls. Alcantara touched 119 balls, match record. He steered the Reds’ game with his silky right foot. He could have opened the scoring in the first period but his shot from 25 meters will find Rulli’s square. The Spanish international was behind the first goal for the Reds by initiating the attack with a thrust on Capoue along the touchline before serving Henderson who finished the action. The Liverpool captain was very important in the middle and above all unblocked the situation for the Reds. He recovers a pass from Alcantara and splits with Alexander Arnold before seeing his center blocked come to deceive Rulli and give the advantage to Liverpool (53rd).
Luis Diaz very stirring
“El Fideo” continues to win at Liverpool. Holder on the left wing, Luis Diaz was very strong in this semi-final and gave a lot. He exerted intense pressure on the opposing defenders, brought depth, struck a lot and sounded the first English charges. His two curled shots from the right (14th, 30th) were the Reds’ main free chances in the first period. He gave of himself and deserved to be rewarded with a goal. He was replaced by Origi in the 81st minute.
FLOPS
Le duo Danjuma-Chukwueze inoffensif
The two attackers aligned in a 4-4-2 were non-existent on the banks of the Mersey. No doubt lined up by Emery for their punching ability and speed, they were found very little by their partners and failed to bring up the block. Danjuma misused all the balls he received. He misses a fairly simple pass to Chukwueze in the 18th minute which could have given Villarreal a great chance. He negotiates a corner very badly, which was one of the few opportunities obtained by the “yellow submarine“. An extremely difficult match for the attacking duo.
Rulli not reassuring
The Argentinian goalkeeper did not have the aura he had in the previous rounds. Dominant during Villarreal’s qualifications against Juventus or Bayern, the former Montpellier goalkeeper was feverish on Wednesday evening. He very often cleared air balloons with his fists when he had the opportunity to capture them and relieve his defense. The Argentina international also missed several kicking clearances which allowed Liverpool to put the pressure back on. Finally, it is missing on the opening of the score of Henderson. Admittedly the center of the Englishman is deflected by Estupinan, but Rulli has too much reaction time and too good footwork to get the ball out which lobs him (52nd).
Spanish full-backs struggling
If the entire Villarreal squad suffered as a whole, the Spanish full-backs really had a difficult evening at Anfield. Estupinan on the left and Foyth on the right struggled and took on water as the red waves kept coming back. Hampered by the very high placement of Robertson and Alexander-Arnold who evolved as wingers, the two full-backs of the “Yellow Submarine” were very often caught out and Estupinan was warned for a foul on Salah. If the central defense ended up cracking in the second half, the corridors suffered for 90 minutes under pressure from the Reds.
