Liverpool v Villarreal preview

Liverpool will be looking to reach their first European final in nine years when Villarreal travel to Anfield for Thursday’s Europa League semi-final second leg.

The three-time winners’ last appearance in a continental final came in 2007, when they lost 2-1 to AC Milan in the Champions League final in Athens.

The Reds will have to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit to book their tickets to Basel later this month after Adrian Lopez’s stoppage-time strike at El Madrigal handed Villarreal the advantage.

Villarreal, who are yet to appear in a European final, head to Merseyside looking to do what they couldn’t do against Arsenal in the Champions League semi-finals in 2006 and progress past the last-four.

The Yellow Submarine are the highest scoring side left in the competition with 23 goals, eight more than Liverpool.

The Reds had a poor warm-up for Thursday’s game as a much-changed side was comprehensively beaten 3-1 at Swansea on Sunday, but they will be brimming with confidence having knocked out tournament-favourites Borussia Dortmund dramatically in the quarters.

Team news

Liverpool forward Divock Origi is at the start of a lengthy spell on the sidelines with an ankle injury, but the good news is Emre Can will return to the squad after recovering from his own ankle problem.

Long-term absentees Joe Gomez, Jordan Henderson and Danny Ings are all out with knee injuries, as too is Jordan Rossiter …

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