UEFA Europa League - Liverpool 3-0 Villarreal: 5 Talking Points
Liverpool came back brilliantly from the first leg deficit they carried into Anfield to qualify for the UEFA Europa League final with a 3-0 second leg and 3-1 overall victory. An early own goal from captain Bruno Soriano left Villarreal with their first leg lead wiped out.
Goals from Daniel Sturridge and Adam Lallana later meant that the Reds gained a healthy lead going into the last few minutes of the game as Villarreal had no way back into the match.
Let’s have a look at the game’s talking points.
#1 Daniel Sturridge proves again that he is Liverpool’s main man
Daniel Sturridge has been left on the bench a little too often of late. After going through a horror of an injury-affected season, you would think his return to fitness would have made him an automatic choice for a starting spot.
However, that has not been the case in light of Divock Origi’s sudden renaissance under Jurgen Klopp. Even with the Belgian out with injury, Klopp has seemingly preferred the work rate of Roberto Firmino up front than the electrifying pace and guile of the English hitman.
A starting opportunity and the need for goals, set up Daniel Sturridge perfectly to set the tone and he did that rather majestically. His pressuring of the Villarreal defense led to Bruno Soriano putting the ball into his own net from a low cross from the Liverpool left.
Daniel Sturridge had miskicked, but the ball had still gone in off the Villarreal captain.
He scored the second after being put through by Roberto Firmino. His finish was fantastic as an impressive Areola was not able to stop the ball from going in between his legs. The third too would have been his as he galloped into the box to get to the end of a Roberto Firmino cross.
Another miskick saw Lallana take the opportunity to extend the Reds’ lead. A good night for Daniel Sturridge overall.