Lift off for Liverpool?

Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool produced a big performance against Villarreal on Thursday to reach the Europa League final. It’s a win that could have an even bigger impact on the speed of the team’s progression, writes Adam Bate…

Anyone thinking that Liverpool’s dramatic 4-3 win over Borussia Dortmund in the previous round of the Europa League was a one-off didn’t have to wait too long to witness a repeat. The Reds delivered one of what former captain Phil Thompson calls “those magical, mystical nights at Anfield” to see off Villarreal 3-0 on the night and book a trip to Basel for the final.

Villarreal might well be the fourth best team in what’s surely Europe’s strongest league, but the Spanish side’s one-goal lead from the first leg never looked like being enough. Visiting captain Bruno decided to switch ends in order to stave off the prospect of Liverpool attacking the Kop in the second half but only brought forward the nightmare by 45 minutes.

Liverpool set upon their opponents. They finished with three goals but might have scored six, such was the tempo of their play. It was reminiscent of an age when English teams would unsettle opponents on home soil in European ties, disrupting their rhythm. It worked here. The Yellow Submarine sank without the trace.

The opener – a Bruno own goal – set the tone for the game, before Daniel Sturridge put Liverpool ahead in the tie by finishing past Alphonse Areola. Adam Lallana capped the night with a deftly-taken goal from close range. Two English scorers then, but this was a performance forged in Germany. This was a victory for Jurgen Klopp’s style of play.

It’s not been the easiest of introductions to life in English football for Klopp, with the man himself describing it as a “difficult season” for the club. Having arrived in the autumn without the benefit of a pre-season to get his ideas across, he’s been unable to deliver anything like consistency in a congested campaign.

“In October, Liverpool changed their manager,” he said earlier this week. “That’s not the sign of a perfect situation. Something went wrong before then. After the change, we didn’t change everything immediately, we developed. We still had problems with injuries. We played sometimes …

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