Liverpool toyed with their fans’ nerves by allowing Villarreal to score two first-half goals in their UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg on Tuesday night, but needed just five minutes to score two goals of their own and rid the Yellow Submarine of all hope of making the final. It finishes 3-2 on the night in favour of the quadrupole-chasing Reds, and 5-2 over two legs.The win puts Liverpool in their third UCL final in the Jurgen Klopp era. It prevents the Spanish club from contesting Europa League and Champions League finals in two successive seasons.Boulaye Dia and Francis Coquelin made the home fans believe that one of the biggest comebacks was on, but goals from Fabinho, Luis Diaz and Sadio Mane after the break confirmed that Liverpool are currently one of the best teams in Europe. If you give them a bit of space and time on the ball – you will be punished. Villarreal have experienced it twice in the space of a week.Villarreal fans singing. Proud of their team and their town. pic.twitter.com/oXKf4zNuAb— The Spanish Football Podcast (@tsf_podcast) May 3, 2022 As the kick-off approached, the adoring home fans unfurled a banner with an inspirational message to their players. The words “We are just 90 minutes away from living our dream” conveyed a simple message, one of hope and trust. And the players have indeed received the message.Less than three minutes into the game, the noise levels increased further at El Madrigal.Their Ecuadorian left-back Victor Estupinan delivered a cross onto the far post, where Etienne Capoue knocked it nicely across the six-yard line for Boulaye Dia. The Senegal international nipped in front of Virgil van Dijk brilliantly and side-footed into the unguarded net to give Villarreal a dream start!Luis Diaz. That is all. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/HkksE2nSBO— Liverpool FC (@LFC) May 3, 2022 Liverpool looked unusually subdued and were looking for opportunities on the counter-attack. But it was the Reds’ box where the real excitement was at. A penalty claim from Tottenham’s on-loan midfielder Giovani Lo Celso was rightfully waved away by the Dutch referee Danny Makkelie as the half-time whistle approached.Liverpool full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson are usually among the best players in Klopp’s team. Still, they were both caught napping as the latter allowed Capoue to turn on the ball and deliver a cross onto the head of Francis Coquelin. The former Arsenal midfielder broke away from Trent and steered a majestic header into Alisson Becker’s net to tie the score at 2-2 on aggregate. Liverpool’s first-leg lead has been melted away.Klopp brought on Luis Diaz in place of the ineffective Diogo Jota at the start of the second half after the Reds failed to register a shot on target in the first 45 minutes. It was to prove a masterstroke. They needed to wake up – and wake up they did. Alexander-Arnold had already cracked a deflected shot off Geronimo Rulli’s crossbar to announce a turn of the tide when Fabinho played a one-two with Mohamed Salah before squeezing the ball through the Argentine’s legs to make it 2-1 on the night and offer the travelling fans some respite.LIVERPOOL REACH THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINALThe quadruple is still on 🏆 pic.twitter.com/WrEKykKqEl— B/R Football (@brfootball) May 3, 2022 Merely five minutes later, Villarreal’s dream was looking ever farther away than after the final whistle at Anfield a week ago. Alexander-Arnold made amends for his first-half mistakes and directed a phenomenal cross for Diaz on the far post. Rulli managed to save the initial header from the Colombian but had no chance as the former Porto winger tucked in the rebound to make it 2-2 and restore a two-goal lead for the English club. It was game over.Sadio Mane walked the ball into the net to turn the match around completely just a few minutes later to silence the home crowd. They were dreaming, you could say that they were even living the dream, but three conceded goals in just over ten minutes made for a rude awakening.Liverpool have reached the final. They will meet either Manchester City or Real Madrid.UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – SEMIFINALSecond legTuesdayVillarreal – Liverpool 2-3 (2-0)/Dia 3, Coquelin 41 – Fabinho 62, Diaz 67, Mane 74/Liverpool win 5-2 on aggregate.Wednesday22.00: (3.15) Real Madrid (3.55) Man City (2.20)***odds are subject to change
