Emery bids to conquer ‘top side in the world’

VILLARREAL coach Unai Emery said his side would have to play the perfect game to beat the team he called ‘the best in the world’ in tonight’s Champions League semi-final second leg. One reporter reminded Emery that Liverpool had only lost three times all season and asked him about the prospect of having to do what no team has managed so far this campaign and beat Jurgen Klopp’s side by two clear goals. ‘We have to play the perfect game,’ he said. ‘You have done your research well. We knew about their record but I wasn’t going to mention it,’ he added with a smile. ‘We have to reach a level of excellence. And yes, you’re right, we have to do something that no one has done. ‘They are the best team in the world and they play with a certain superiority and confidence.’ Emery called on Villarreal supporters to do their best to emulate the atmosphere at Anfield, and on his players to produce the kind of stellar performance he witnessed from Thiago Alcantara in the first leg. Emery said: ‘Thiago played a tremendous game. He was man of the match. If the man of the match is a Liverpool player again then I’m sure we will be out. ‘But if it’s one of ours, then we have a chance. The home advantage was very important for them and we hope it gives us a bit of an advantage, too.’ The Spanish coach was also asked about two European comebacks that he had been on the right and wrong side of. He was more comfortable answering a question about a 3-0 home win for Arsenal over Rennes in 2019 that helped overturn a 3-1 first-leg defeat, than he was about Paris SaintGermain’s famous capitulation against Barcelona, losing 6-1 in the second leg and 6-5 on aggregate in 2017. Of the win over Rennes he said: ‘It’s true that there are certain parallels from that game but the fact that it’s Liverpool makes it far more difficult.’ The Villarreal coach said he would wait to make a late decision on the fitness of his favoured forward pairing of Gerard Moreno and Arnaut Danjuma. Moreno missed the first leg but trained with teammates on Monday. Emery did confirm that Spain winger Yeremy Pino was definitely out.