Last-gasp goal sinks Liverpool
VILLARREAL 1 LIVERPOOL 0:
SO it is to be the hard way again. Substitute Adrian Lopez tapped the ball into an empty net in stoppage time, and Jurgen Klopp was a loser in Spain again.
He has never won here, not once, as a coach, but he thought he had got away with it last night. Liverpool looked to have held strong, on a day when their best defender Mamadou Sakho was provisionally banned by UEFA for 30 days, and no doubt more, after failing a drugs test.
In his place, Kolo Toure put barely a foot wrong. Yet Liverpool were overstretched in second-half stoppage time when Villarreal broke away, Alberto Moreno was posted missing, and the speed of that counter attack proved fatal. A beautiful chip out to Denis Suarez caught Liverpool flat, Simon Mignolet had no choice but to commit and that left Lopez alone in the middle, unmarked. Villarreal had lift-off. Manager Marcelino sprinted, Jose Mourinho style, along the touchline.
But the biggest test for the Yellow Submarine is yet to come. One of those mighty European nights at Anfield, when anything — absolutely anything — is possible.
‘I’m not too happy with the goal we conceded in the last second,’ said Klopp.
‘Counter attacking in the 92nd minute makes not much sense but it is only the first leg. It is 1-0 and they have to come to Anfield where we know how strong we are. We had our moments, we defended really good. This race is not over.
‘If we had enough players in around the box it was no problem but they played this one chip over Kolo. I don’t know where Alberto was, but that was the only big mistake we made in this game and they scored with it.’
The Europa League is a step down from the Champions League — but for Liverpool it represents a pinnacle of achievement in Klopp’s first season, certainly with such a lucrative prize at stake.
For Klopp to win a trophy less than a year since taking over at Anfield would be a feat; for him to win one that takes this club back to Europe’s greatest competition would be beyond their wildest dreams.
They could have nicked it in the 66th minute when Robert Firmino — preferred to Daniel Sturridge — struck a post with a shot.
There wasn’t much more from Liverpool beyond the stoutest resistance, but that’s how it is in Europe sometimes.
Luck helps, too, and Liverpool got some a minute after half-time when Villarreal spurned the best chance of the night. Jonathan Dos Santos’ corner was met by striker Cedric Bakambu — part of a two-man unit with ex-Spurs player Roberto Soldado. Bakambu beat Mignolet with his header but not the near post.
In the 55th minute, Soldado did well to put Mario Gaspar through, but the full-back wasted a fine position, shooting over. With four minutes left, Bakambu broke away and forced a marvellous save from Mignolet.
The home crowd seemed content at that stage that Liverpool hadn’t scored. Naturally, they went wild when Adrian snatched his goal in added time.
Villarreal’s most dangerous attempt of the first half came from midfielder Tomas Pina, and credit to Mignolet for his alert reflexes. He hadn’t had much to do when Pina suddenly struck in the 21st minute. It was a low shot, dipping and on target, but Mignolet dived to his left to tip the ball around the post.
Just before half-time, Villarreal captain Bruno Soriano had a shot from range blocked by his own player, Soldado — but the striker responded quickly. His intelligent effort curled in at the near post but the ball travelled just wide as Mignolet scrambled.
There was camaraderie between the fans, with both sides joining in and claiming ownership of the Villarreal anthem Yellow Submarine — and a supportive banner in lurid yellow from the home fans, marking the historic Hillsborough ruling this week.
In the fifth minute, an Adam Lallana cross picked out Joe Allen, who shot straight at keeper Sergio Asenjo, while Lucas Leiva should have done better with a 15th-minute opportunity he sliced wide.
Asenjo was more troubled by a good right-sided cross from James Milner early in the second half.
But the intention from Liverpool seemed clear. Settle for a draw and go for the jugular at Anfield. It very nearly worked, too.
VILLARREAL (4-4-2): Asenjo; Gaspar, Bailly (Musacchioa 76), Ruiz, Costa; dos Santos (Castillejo 72), Pina, Bruno, Suarez; Soldado (Adrian 74), Bakambu. Subs not used: Sanchez, Areola, Munoz, Rukavina. Booked: Costa. LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Mignolet; Clyne, Toure, Lovren, Moreno; Milner, Lucas, Allen; Lallana, Firmino (Benteke 90), Coutinho (Ibe 46). Subs not used: Ward, Sturridge, Smith, Skrtel, Chirivella. Booked: None. Referee: Damir Skomina (Slovenia). Attendance: 25,000. Man of the match: Kolo Toure.