The Reds scupper Spanish armada
IT HAS been such a good year for teams from Spain in European competitions that at times it has been tempting to rebrand the tournaments La Liga Plus.
And while no one has worked out what the season has done for La Liga’s UEFA coeffi cient, it is safe to say astronaut Tim Peake has a better chance of spotting it than most. European competition has always operated in cycles of national dominance as tactical thinking evolves in the game.
Italy, Germany, Netherlands and even England have enjoyed domination of the continental landscape for years before fashions changed and a new style
emerged. That landscape this year has been undeniably Spanish.
If a second all- Madrid fi nal between Real and Atletico inside three years was not enough, the progress of the rest of the Spanish qualifi ers back up their dominance.
Villarreal, and Sevilla in last night’s other semi- fi nal, have demonstrated the strength of Spanish football and there is compelling evidence elsewhere.
Spanish clubs had won 45 of their last 48 knockout matches in Champions League and Europa League competition before Liverpool emerged victorious.
The only teams who have been able to knock out Spanish clubs before last night – Athletic saw off Valencia before losing to Sevilla in the Europa and Barcelona were knocked out by Atletico in the Champions League – have been Spanish.
Collectively they have produced determined, gritty teams.
After the meek exit of Manchester City on Wednesday in Madrid, Liverpool stood alone against the armada. Well, not quite. The anthem that resonates before every kick- off at Anfi eld says otherwise. Villarreal’s players and supporters were bombarded with a wall of noise from the start that only increased in volume when Bruno turned Roberto Firmino’s lashed centre into his own net after seven minutes.
It brought Liverpool level with the Spanish club at 1- 1 on aggregate and set up a passionate night of European football. Anfi eld seems uniquely acoustically arranged to provide such noise but the men in yellow, while unnerved by the assault on their ear drums, stood fi rm for the rest of the fi rst half.
La Liga has produced resilient sides but fi esty Villareal were not good on the night, though, and they fi nally succumbed as Daniel Sturridge and Adam Lallana ensured there would be a Premier League presence in a Euro fi nal.