Reds rally after an early middle muddle
LIVERPOOL’s red machine nearly broke down on their Quadruple quest last night. And it was the engine room where it almost all went wrong.
But to pull off the remarkable feat of winning all four trophies, it was expected they would hit some turbulence along the way.
The opening 45 minutes was certainly a rocky patch that almost sent them off course in their Champions League pursuit.
In the end, they coasted through to their 10th European Cup final. But it was not as easy a journey as many may have expected.
That is because the Reds midfield got run all over by Villarreal in the first half. Thiago was trying to get them going with his usual class, but he lacked his usual accuracy with his passing.
All the while, Fabinho was swarmed by yellow shirts and committing uncharacteristic fouls.
He would later put that right, though, with the game-changing goal. Neither were helped by
Naby Keita, delivering one of his worst halves of the season in the first period. Liverpool looked like they were missing the leadership of captain Jordan Henderson in the middle in a wretched start at a rain-soaked El Madrigal.
The Reds were being dominated by a midfield two of Etienne Capoue and Daniel Parejo.
They came at a combined cost of less than £4m to the La Liga side. Yet here they were running the show for 45 minutes.
It was a shock that Jurgen Klopp did not turn to Henderson, left, at the break, but it is no surprise that once his midfield three did find their feet after the restart, they got into the game.
Luis Diaz’s introduction was the catalyst but it was the midfield finding their feet that turned the game. Fabinho took matters into his hands to get their first goal.
Diaz and Sadio Mane added the other two to ensure there was no embarrassment.