Yellow Submarine stalls in sea of Red

Always in control, Liverpool breach Villarreal’s defence twice in 133 seconds

KOLKATA: Zinedine Zidane and Unai Emery share more than a fondness for stylish touchline wear. They are two of the most successful managers in knockout ties in Europe since 2009-10. Zidane has won 14 of his 16 knockout games, a success rate of 88%. Emery’s strike rate is 84% but he has been in charge of more games, 37 in the Europa League and Champions League winning 31. Like Zidane, Emery has a hattrick of European titles. Unlike Zidane, he has a fourth.

Emery also has a sharp eye for players. It is one of the reasons why Villarreal are, in his words, a big club from a small town. To homegrown Alfonso Pedraza, Pau Torres and Gerard Moreno, who didn’t play on Wednesday because of a hamstring injury, Emery has added left-back Pervis Estupinan and the powerful physical presence of Etienne Capoue, who is seen bouncing on the massage table in Champions League promotionals, from Watford. Francis Coquelin has been at Arsenal and the trio of Juan Foyth, Giovanni lo Celso and Serge Aurier came from Tottenham Hotspur. Arnaut Danjuma, another Emery recommendation, was got from Bournemouth and he has scored 16 goals this term including six in the Champions League.

In 2016, Emery beat Juergen Klopp’s Liverpool for the first of this three successive Europa League titles at Sevilla. He called Emery a “Cup king” ahead of the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against a team nicknamed ‘Yellow Submarine’, the Beatles connection dating back to 1967-68 when some fans would play the song at Villarreal. But for 90 minutes and more, in a red sea, the submarine couldn’t surface. Partly because Emery wanted it that way; mostly because Liverpool were in control. In both legs against Juventus, Villarreal had struck late. The goal that sealed Bayern Munich’s fate came in the 88th minute so it fit that Villarreal would sit deep. “It was about resisting as much as we could defensively to try to have a chance in the second leg,” said Emery. With a combination of delaying tactics—in the 17th minute, goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli let a long ball bounce into his area instead of attacking it and finding a teammate most of whom were in Liverpool’s half— and two banks of four, Villarreal kept things even in the first half. They had no attempts; Liverpool had 12 by the 35th minute, two on target. Those apart, Thiago’s cannonball had banged into the upright from range after Sadio Mane couldn’t do a Kevin de Bruyne when Mo Salah cut in and delivered like Riyad Mahrez. As he briskly walked in, Emery looked satisfied.

But when Liverpool changed gears, Villarreal couldn’t cope.

Inside 133 seconds, they conceded twice. Rulli could have done better when Jordan Henderson’s delivery took a deflection off left back Estupinan but the way Liverpool moved from left to right was proof of how intimidating it is playing them. Manchester United and Everton would be familiar with that feeling. Liverpool have an aggregate score of 8-0 in their last three games and 93 more touches in the rival penalty box. 1-0 became 2-0 when Mane got his 20th of the season extending a leg to meet Salah’s pass.

Klopp, who signed a new contract with Liverpool till 2026, has spoken of that Europa defeat as a key step in his rebuilding project. Among them is forging a side unfazed by opponents who don’t want to play. They were patient against Everton and on Wednesday night when Klopp used eight from those who started in the 2019 Champions League final. So, the odds would be steep for Villarreal to do what Demba Ba did in 2013-14 to Liverpool.

In 55 games this season, Liverpool haven’t lost by two goals. They have not lost since the inconsequential Champions League tie against Inter in March which was their third defeat of the season; the other two coming against West Ham (Nov) and Leicester (Dec). In the Champions League they have 27 goals, the most among teams left. Eight have come from Salah but there are nine other scorers. Wisened by how injuries to centre-backs derailed their season in 2019-20,

Klopp has reinforced the squad and even though the frontline possibly needed no fixing, he has got Luis Diaz who has been so good that Liverpool can rotate forwards. To add to that, Thiago has come alive. The long ball he ladled for Salah or the tackle on Lo Celso were early indications of another good night. Like in the FA Cup semi-final, or against United or Everton, his pass completion rate stayed near perfect: 99 from 103. Thiago, Jordan Henderson, the constant presence of full backs near the Villarreal penalty area, a frontline fizzing with talent and the presence of the world’s best goalkeeper and central defender were why Liverpool never ceded control.

Villarreal’s 28% possession and one shot in the match wasn’t because they didn’t want the ball. They did try to build from the back but the relentlessness of Liverpool’s counter-press ensured quick turnovers. 2-0 up in the 88th minute, Lo Celso was surrounded by three red shirts. He managed to get out but was dispossessed by Fabinho who had arrived to help. Early in the game, Ibrahima Konate tried to get the referee’s attention by hitting the floor. Virgil van Dijk pulled him up in a bid to get something from the corner-kick. The message probably was: let only one team waste time.

That is something Villarreal can’t do next week and Emery has spoken of changing tactics. Liverpool will be ready. Because, as Klopp has said, it’s only halftime.