Liverpool beat Villarreal 2-0 at Anfield on Wednesday evening.
It was the first leg of the Champions League semi-final and The Reds made light work of their visitors.
They took the lead in the 53rd minute through Pervis Estupinan’s own goal before Sadio Mane doubled their lead two minutes later.
Liverpool dominated 74% of the possession and registered 19 shots in comparison to Villarreal’s one. A large part of their dominance was due to the excellence of their midfield.
In Fabinho they had one of the cleanest and most intelligent ball-winners in European football and in Thiago Alcantara they had one of the best ball-players in the game.
The Spaniard of Brazilian parentage completed 103 passes while maintaining a passing accuracy of 96.3%. He completed 34 final third passes and made nine perfect long balls. And he did it all with a remarkable creative flair. An amazing footballer.
And Marca agreed, giving him the highest rating of any player on the pitch in their report. It made tough reading for Villarreal supporters but did reflect the defensive shift their players put in.
Marca player ratings for Liverpool 2-0 Villarreal team bus. pic.twitter.com/B0gob2xEih
— Brendy Boyle (@BrendyBoyle) April 28, 2022
