Rousing recoveries against St Etienne, Olympiakos and Milan all led to European titles for Liverpool but Jürgen Klopp has claimed Borussia Dortmund will count for nothing unless his players deliver against Villarreal. "For a small city in Spain it is great what they have done," he said. "They have made a lot of good decisions to be here and we shouldn't hope for the wrong decisions tomorrow."
Klopp was not in the mood to wallow in that remarkable quarter-final victory when he appeared at El Madrigal Stadium yesterday. Losing Emre Can, Divock Origi and Mamadou Sakho for varying reasons since that 5-4 aggregate defeat of his former club, plus Jordan Henderson in the first leg in Germany, may have had something to do with it. History indicates Liverpool do not squander the momentum of a memorable European fightback – with the exception of Auxerre in the 1992 Uefa Cup – but momentum alone will not carry Klopp's team through against the Yellow Submarine. That was the message he was keen to impart in Spain.
"Now is not the moment to think that the experience against Dortmund in the quarter-final is the experience we need, it is not about this," the Liverpool manager said. "It is the only chance in 2015-16, in the Europa League, to go as far as possible. That is all. When I came in October, Basel [where the final will be played] was not a real thing to think about but now it is not that far away so we could.
Important experience
“Experience is nothing to talk about, it is not to buy, it is not to talk about. It is only to collect and use. So we will see what happens. Each game you win, each difficult game you win, is the best thing you can do in your career and you can take the benefit from it. If you go out it could be an important experience. If you go through it could be experience, but if you use the experience in the wrong way then it is bullshit. I’m sorry.”
Liverpool will be welcomed warmly by Villarreal tomorrow before their first game since a two-year inquest into the Hillsborough disaster concluded that the 96 who died were unlawfully killed and supporters were not to blame. A banner bearing the Villarreal crest, “96” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone” will appear inside the 25,000-capacity stadium, 20,000 scarves featuring yellow submarines will be distributed before the game and the club’s usual anthem will be replaced by their original song of choice, the Beatles’ number that reflects their nickname.
Klopp does not expect the reception to continue after kick-off. “What Villarreal have shown each week, being fourth in the Spanish league, is the highest level of football,” he warned. “They are unbelievably strong with really good balance. Really good structure in their game – good defending, very disciplined, good counterattacks. If you let them they play football, they have everything you need to be a good team.
“They’re a good club in a small city in Spain. They have made a lot of good decisions to be here. And we should not hope that they will only make wrong decisions tomorrow. We have to be prepared for our best game and that’s what we will try to do.”
He added: “We saw Villarreal maybe six times. To play against them is really special, they are really confident in the things they do, they defend in an organised way. They are patient enough to wait for your mistakes then using these mistakes. We have to play the game Villarreal don’t like, that is what we have to do.”
No tourists
Liverpool are unbeaten in 12 Europa League games and have
Christian Benteke
in the squad for the first time since he damaged knee ligaments last month.
“It is not the moment to think if he is in the best shape but he is in good shape,” said Klopp. “We only have players here who are ready to be a part. There are no tourists.”
Villarreal are on course to qualify for the Champions League through La Liga – they sit fourth and four points above fifth-placed Celta Vigo – and have won all six Europa League fixtures at El Madrigal this season. No club has scored more goals or won more games in the re-formatted Europa League but their three appearances in the semi-finals of European competition have all ended in defeat. Arsenal, or rather Juan Roman Riquelme’s missed penalty, denied them a place in the 2006 Champions League final.
“Liverpool might be the favourite,” claimed the coach, Marcelino. “The club, their history and the fact that they knocked out Borussia Dortmund all add up. But we don’t consider ourselves to be less than them.
“We are going to give everything from our side to eliminate this legendary team. We don’t have any pressure on us. We are privileged to be able to play in this semi-final. I felt more pressure in the previous knockout ties.
“We have the chance to make history at this club now. If we manage to enjoy the match and do the things we know how to do I think they’re going to suffer a lot at our ground.”
