Villarreal have lost two of their three meetings with Liverpool in European competition, although their one victory over the Reds did come in their only previous clash on home soil, in the 2015-16 Uefa Europa League semifinals (1-0). The Yellow Submarine netted a 90th-minute winner through Adrián López.
Following their 2-0 victory in the first leg at Anfield, Liverpool could win both legs of a knockout stage tie against Spanish opposition in the European Cup/Uefa Champions League for only the second time – previously doing so in 2008-09 against Real Madrid (1-0 away and 4-0 at home in the Last 16).
To qualify for this season’s final, Villarreal will have to become only the second team to overturn a two-goal deficit from the first leg of a Uefa Champions League semifinal. Opponents Liverpool are the only side to have lost a first leg by 2+ goals and still progressed from the tie, beating Barcelona 4-3 on aggregate in 2018-19 (0-3 away and 4-0 at home).
Liverpool are aiming to reach their 10th European Cup/Uefa Champions League final, which would see them become only the fourth side to reach double figures for final appearances, after Real Madrid (16), Bayern Munich (11) and AC Milan (11). The Reds’ current tally of nine is already the most by any English side.
Villarreal are unbeaten at home in the Uefa Champions League knockout stages, although they have only won two of their seven such games (D5). Indeed, these seven games have seen just 10 goals scored in total, with neither side managing to score more than once on any occasion.
Liverpool have won all five of their away games in the Uefa Champions League this season, scoring 15 goals and only conceding five. Should they win here, Jürgen Klopp’s side would have played the most away games while maintaining a 100 per cent record by any team in a single European Cup/Uefa Champions League campaign.
Villarreal attempted only one shot and failed to hit the target in the first leg at Anfield. The last team to fail to record a shot on target across two legs of a Uefa Champions League semifinal was Deportivo de La Coruña in 2003-04, against José Mourinho’s FC Porto.
Liverpool recorded 22 high turnovers against Villarreal in the first leg (sequences of play that begin within 40 metres of the opposition goal); the most by a team in a knockout stage game in the Uefa Champions League this season. It was also the most Liverpool have ever made in a game in the competition under Jürgen Klopp.
Villarreal’s Arnaut Danjuma has been directly involved in seven goals in the Uefa Champions League this season (six goals, one assist). The last Dutch player to contribute more in a single campaign in the competition was Arjen Robben in 2013-14 (4 goals, 4 assists), while playing for Bayern Munich.
Sadio Mané has scored 14 goals for Liverpool in the knockout stages of the Uefa Champions League, including one in the first leg against Villarreal. He is now just one goal shy of equalling Frank Lampard’s record for most goals scored for an English team in the knockout stages of the competition (15 for Chelsea).
