Liverpool put one foot in their third Champions League final in five seasons after a 2-0 victory over the least-fancied team in the last four Villarreal. The dozen attempts they made surpassed any other team since the data was first collected in 2003-4, with the closest they came being Thiago Alcantara’s 25-yard effort off the post. Five minutes after the interval Fabinho forced the ball home only to be flagged offside, and Diaz headed weakly at Rulli before a stroke of good fortune brought the 53rd-minute opener. In a flowing move which started close to the halfway line on the left by Andy Robertson and involved Thiago and Mane ended with Salah playing in Henderson wide on the right. At that point it seemed a question of how big a lead Liverpool wanted to take to Spain next week as Robertson volleyed home Alexander-Arnold’s cross only for it to be ruled out for offside.

Source: Irish Independent April 28, 2022 05:15 UTC