Villareal had no answer to Diaz, admits Emery after semifinal defeat
VILLAREAL manager Unai Emery admitted that Liverpool’s Luis Diaz caused his side all sorts of issues during yesterday’s Champions League defeat.
Diaz proved the catalyst in helping Liverpool turn around a tepid opening 45 minutes in Spain.
And speaking to Spanish sports daily Marca after the game, Emery said that his team just couldn’t get to grips with the Colombian.
“We had (Juan) Foyth do a job on (Luis) Diaz, but we couldn’t answer up,” he said.
Foyth will be eager to forget his match up against Diaz, whose explosive pace and sheer relentlessness gave the former Tottenham rightback no end of difficulties.
Diaz’s impact seemed to spook the Villarreal players who had looked invincible in the first half. After Fabinho pulled Liverpool back into it, it was his point-blank header which put the tie beyond Emery’s men.
It says it all that Diaz was given the Man of the Match award at the Estadio de la Ceramica yesterday. The 25-year-old may have only played 45 minutes, but he was the most decisive player on the pitch.
Liverpool’s players celebrated their victory with a sense of relief after the match, and cameras caught Diaz seemingly tearing up as he reacted to reaching his first Champions League final.
Former players Peter Crouch and Michael Owen said Diaz has nailed his place in the starting XI for Liverpool’s Champions League final later this month after yesterday’s performance.
Speaking about the January signing’s impact, Crouch and Owen were effusive in their praise for Diaz.
“He was fantastic. The moment he came on he was getting at players. He was a complete gamechanger,” said Crouch on BT Sport.
“In the final, he starts. He’s come in and invigorated the whole dressing room. I spoke to Jurgen (Klopp) about him and he says he enjoys his football every day.”
Owen echoed Crouch’s sentiments, stating: “I have never seen a player hit the ground running like him. Playing in different leagues, not speaking the language.
“To pick up the way Liverpool play so quickly is unbelievable. He’s starting the final for sure.”
Diaz joined the Anfield outfit from Porto in January in a deal worth an initial £37.5 million (RM203m). And while he’s only been in England for a few months, Rio Ferdinand believes he has been the signing of the season.
“Diaz was the difference maker,” he said. “His ability to go one versus one. He came on and was mesmeric. His dribbling, how he unnerves defenders, his trickery.
“He’s a fabulous player and one of – if not the – signing of the season for me.”
Emery admitted Liverpool deserved their place in the final after yesterday’s thriller.
“When you have lost the moment is sad for everybody,” the Yellow Submarine boss told BBC Sport.
“We can’t be happy because of the way we were doing good matches, good battles against Juventus, Bayern Munich and then some excellence against Liverpool.
“They deserve to play in the final.
“First half tonight we showed everybody we are a good team as well and we can have chances too.
“But the difference in two matches was with them.
“We made a huge effort in the first half and we knew that could be heavy on our legs in the second half,” he said.
“We were not quite the same team in the second half. We couldn’t find the right amount of strength. We lacked something extra.”
The manner of the hosts’ collapse however left Ferdinand furious.
“That was an opportunity missed,” the former Manchester United skipper said.
“Villareal took their foot off the pedal, all their great work pressurising Liverpool, pinning them back, not giving them any time, but in the second half they played exactly how they played in the first leg and got demolished.”