Klopp: ‘my new contract will hopefully influence Salah and Mané to stay’
Check out Jurgen Klopp’s pre match press conference ahead of Liverpool’s Premier League clash with Newcastle. Having signed a contract extension until 2026, the German manager hopes that this may influence Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah to also sign new contracts at the club.
Villarreal vs Liverpool: Line-ups
Villarreal
Liverpool
Liverpool On Their Way to Another UCL Final
#1
Only one side has ever overturned a two-goal deficit in a Champions League semi-final, with Villarreal seeking to come back against the comeback kings in Liverpool following their extraordinary 2018-19 turnaround against Barcelona, but a 12-game unbeaten run on home soil does stand them in good stead.
#2
Not since November have Villarreal slumped to a defeat in front of their own supporters, but Emery’s side failed to register a single shot on target in the first leg, and not many bets will be placed on the La Liga side booking their tickets to the showpiece event now.
#3
With less than a month to go before the curtain closes on a whirlwind of a 2021-22 season, the quadruple dream is still a realistic possibility for Liverpool, who briefly returned to the top of the pile in the Premier League by halting the Newcastle United momentum on Saturday lunchtime.
#4
Victory at Newcastle represented Liverpool’s fifth on the bounce in all tournaments – their last four of which have come with a clean sheet – and not since going down to Leicester City in December have Klopp’s side lost on the road in any competition.
#5
Such a remarkable set of results on the road has also seen Liverpool win all five of their Champions League away games in 2021-22 – scoring at least two goals on each occasion – and Villarreal will need to better their 1-0 triumph over Liverpool at La Ceramica in the 2015-16 Europa League semi-finals if Emery is to have the chance to add a Champions League crown to his glittering collection in the continent’s secondary tournament.
DPP Verdict
Stepping out onto the Ceramica turf has been a difficult proposition for a plethora of sides in recent months, but Villarreal offered little to nothing in attack at Anfield and have been hit with injuries to the forward line at the worst possible time. While Liverpool may find it slightly trickier to assert their dominance away from their Anfield fortress, a refreshed side looking almost unstoppable right now should book their spot in the final with minimal difficulty.
