Europa League Win and Champions League Spot Could Be Liftoff for Jurgen Klopp

ANFIELD, Liverpool — “In no way whatsoever will we be affected negatively by the atmosphere,” claimed Villarreal boss Marcelino in his pre-match press conference.

Words that would come back to haunt him as he raced frantically along the Anfield touchline with his side 1-0 down and clearly rattled inside the opening 10 minutes of Thursday night’s clash. The Spaniard struggled to get his messages across to his players due to the noise of the ferocious Anfield crowd.

His players were late to tackles, looked unable to cope with Liverpool’s impressive and non-stop pressing game, and his goalkeeper looked unsettled by his own team’s decision to defend in front of the Kop in the first half.

Marcelino’s bullish words, just like his celebrations after the 1-0 win in the first leg, came back to bite him.

“They will try to press us further up the field,” he’d said pre-match, getting one thing right for sure.

“I think we might possibly see a new system and a change in personnel,” he said, which was also correct as Jurgen Klopp was able to start Emre Can and Daniel Sturridge, opting for a 4-2-3-1 formation rather than the three-man midfield used in Spain last week.

“All those factors will not affect us in any way,” added Marcelino. Affect them it did; from the atmosphere, to Liverpool’s style, to Can’s dominance in midfield, Sturridge’s presence up front and Roberto Firmino’s role as chief tormentor behind the forward.

This game was already on the way to being won when the two team buses arrived …

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