Champions League: Liverpool Are Into Final

 

Liverpool are through to the Champions League final but it almost slid off their hands before they came back strongly to nail a 3-2 victory over Villareal in the semi-finals second-leg tie.

Villareal started off clearing up the deficit from the first-leg tie by scoring two goals in the first half. Reds were left shocked as Doulaye Dia finished off a through pass from Etienne Capoue three minutes into the game. 

Reds, in this half, were easily penetrated by the Spaniards and narrowly escaped drawing a penalty when Francis Coquelin dived into Alisson in the box but he later doubled the lead by heading home Capoue's cross before the break. 

After the break, the Spaniards found Reds to be more offensive and Fabinhio wasted no time with Mohamed Salah's pass and lashed home their first goal. 

Luiz Diaz leapt for a header to Trent Alexander-Arnold's cross and pounced in the second goal. Sadio finished off the third brilliantly capitalising on Villareal goalkeeper's error for latching onto a loose cross and sided-footed home the ball to the empty net. 

Unai Emery's men did impressively well but found a much relentless Liverpool tough to snatch victory off from. The former Arsenal manager led his men to win the UEFA Europa League trophy last season and that gave the side the qualification to this season's Champions League. 

By reaching the final, Liverpool are set for a historical season if they won and follow up to that with the FA Cup for a treble. Should that be, Jurgen Klopp and his men will be the first team and first English club to win trophies in that sequence.