Villarreal vs. Liverpool: Team News, Preview, Live Stream, TV Info

Villarreal and Liverpool kick off their battle for a place in the UEFA Europa League final on Thursday night, with the La Liga challengers welcoming the Reds to Estadio El Madrigal for the first leg of their semi-final clash.

Having triumphed over tournament favourites Borussia Dortmund by virtue of a 5-4 aggregate win in the quarter-finals, Liverpool will be confident of sealing a place in May’s showdown at St. Jakob-Park in Basel, Switzerland, but will take on one of Spain’s dark horses in Villarreal.

As Sky Sports’ La Liga commentator Rob Palmer told Neil Jones of the Liverpool Echo ahead of Thursday night’s clash, Villarreal are enjoying a similar rise to Premier League title favourites Leicester City, with the broadcaster highlighting how they “perform beyond their budget and expectations.”

Marcelino Garcia Toral has masterminded an upturn in fortunes for Villarreal, and his side look set to seal a fourth-placed finish in La Liga this season, behind only Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid.

But Klopp’s Reds have fared considerably worse in the Premier League in 2015/16, and they head to Spain on the back of a disappointing 2-2 draw at home to Newcastle United.

However, the German has inspired an emphatic run in the Europa League—as the only side still unbeaten in European competition this season.

So can Liverpool seal another famous victory on Thursday night, or will home advantage allow Marcelino’s Villarreal to battle against the odds before their trip to Anfield a week later?

 

Date: Thursday, 28 April

Time: 8.05 p.m. BST/ 3.05 p.m. ET

Venue: Estadio El Madrigal, Villarreal

TV Info: BT Sport Europe (UK only) / Fox Sports 1 (U.S. only)

Live Stream: BT Sport Player (UK only) / Fox Sports GO (U.S. only)

 

Form Lines (Last 5 Games)

Villarreal: W-W-L-L-D

Liverpool: W-W-W-W-D

 

Team News

Marcelino heads into Thursday’s clash buoyed by the return of two key defenders in Jaume Costa and Mateo Musacchio, with the left-back and centre-back passing late fitness tests to take their place in the Villarreal squad—though neither is likely to start.

Brazilian striker Leo Baptistao—on loan from Atletico—is Marcelino’s only senior absentee, with the 23-year-old ruled out with an injury that saw him miss last weekend’s 0-0 draw with Real Sociedad.

With a near-fully fit squad to select from, Marcelino was in a confident mood as he addressed reporters, per the Press Association (h/t BT Sport):

Liverpool might be the favourite—the club, their history and the fact that they knocked out Borussia Dortmund all add up—but we don’t consider ourselves to be less than them.

We are going to give everything from our side to eliminate this legendary team.

We don’t have any pressure on us. I’m really satisfied with and grateful to this squad for getting to this semi-final.

We are very hopeful and convinced that we are capable of beating Liverpool, and all the while we’ll be enjoying the occasion.

Whether Musacchio will come straight into Marcelino’s starting lineup remains to be seen, with the Argentinian working back to full fitness following a hamstring injury suffered in February, but Villarreal will be in great shape as they welcome Liverpool to Spain.

Meanwhile, Klopp’s selection is hampered by a potentially …

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