Verdict on Villarreal

Liverpool travel to Spain to take on Villarreal in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday.

With Villarreal currently fourth in La Liga, the trip to El Madrigal looks a daunting one for Jurgen Klopp’s side. But what can the Reds expect from their opponents?

Sky Sports’ La Liga expert Terry Gibson gives us his verdict…

What’s their style of play?

“They’re not a team that scores a lot of goals,” Gibson told Sky Sports. “When they played Real Sociedad at the weekend, both teams have scored 42 goals this season. The difference is that Villarreal have conceded far fewer goals. That’s been their strength.”

In fact, Villarreal have the third best defence in La Liga with only the top two of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid bettering their efforts. “At times, we’ve been able to compare them to Atletico in terms of their style of play,” added Gibson. “They’re a lighter version of that.

“They keep it tight in a 4-4-2. Don’t expect them to open up and try to blow Liverpool away in 20 minutes. That’s not their style. They’re slow burners. …

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