Liverpool Boss Jurgen Klopp Hails 'Special' Champions League Final Feeling

4th May 2022 - by Louis Kalinga

Liverpool will await the winner of the second semi-final between Real Madrid and Manchester City, who meet at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday with City leading 4-3 from the opener last week.

Jurgen Klopp (R) head coach of Liverpool FC celebrates the victory with Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool FC after the UEFA Champions League Semifinal Second Leg match between Villarreal CF and Liverpool FC at Estadio de la Ceramica, May 3, 2022, Villarreal, Spain. PHOTO | AFP

SUMMARY

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said reaching a third Champions League final in five years is just as special as the first after his team saw off a spirited fightback from Villarreal to keep their quadruple hopes alive
Trailing 2-0 from the first leg of their semi-final, Villarreal sparked hopes of a remarkable turnaround in the return at the Estadio de la Ceramica after Boulaye Dia finished in the third minute and Francis Coquelin headed in another to level the tie at 2-2

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said reaching a third Champions League final in five years is just as special as the first after his team saw off a spirited fightback from Villarreal to keep their quadruple hopes alive.

Trailing 2-0 from the first leg of their semi-final, Villarreal sparked hopes of a remarkable turnaround in the return at the Estadio de la Ceramica after Boulaye Dia finished in the third minute and Francis Coquelin headed in another to level the tie at 2-2.

But Klopp threw on Luis Diaz for Diogo Jota at the interval to shake Liverpool into life and it worked, the visitors scoring three times in 12 minutes through Fabinho, Diaz and Sadio Mane to secure a 3-2 win on the night and a 5-2 victory on aggregate.

"It feels like the first final because it’s always so special, it’s the best club competition in the world.

"Respect to Villarreal. Wonderful stadium and what they are doing here is incredible. It feels so special because it was so difficult for us," Klopp said.

Liverpool will await the winner of the second semi-final between Real Madrid and Manchester City, who meet at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday with City leading 4-3 from the opener last week.

Either City or Madrid will offer a sterner test than Villarreal, but after a chastening experience at Anfield last week, Unai Emery’s side delivered a spirited performance that rattled Liverpool and showed why they knocked out both Juventus and Bayern Munich to reach the semi-finals.

"I have no regrets. We have learned how to compete with the best teams. There were some answers we just couldn’t find," Unai Emery stated.

Liverpool were careless, perhaps complacent even, in the first half but sensational in the second. Diaz, who started on the bench, was integral to the fightback, and may soon have to be an automatic starter for Klopp.

A banner draped behind the Villarreal goal at one end read “90 minutes from our dream” while before kick-off the stadium announcer shouted “it’s possible, the comeback is possible!”