Klopp will not underestimate ‘world-class’ Emery

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists he will not underestimate “world-class” Villarreal boss Unai Emery ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg.

Liverpool’s hunt for an unprecedented quadruple continues this week when they welcome a Villarreal side to Anfield hoping to make history under head coach Emery by reaching their first Champions League final.

Having defeated Manchester United to win the Europa League last season, Villarreal’s success in Europe has continued this campaign with impressive victories over Juventus and Bayern Munich.

Villarreal may go into the last-four clash as heavy underdogs but Klopp, who lost out to Emery’s Sevilla in the 2016 Europa League final, has vowed not to overlook the threat posed by the former Arsenal boss.

“Of course, we did a proper analysis of them,” Klopp said. “I had a lot of respect for Unai Emery and Villarreal before, because I saw the games against Bayern Munich and Juventus but only with one eye.

“But then I watched them properly: Wow! Impressive. Unai is obviously a detailed-obsessed manager who prepares for all different situations in a game. It’s really, really good.

“Different ways to build up, different ways to press, different ways to react on different results. Really, really impressive. He’s obviously a world-class coach and doing an incredible job there.”

Villarreal pulled off a stunning 3-0 win away to Juventus to secure their spot in the last eight but their elimination of Bayern, a side recently-crowned Bundesliga champions, was even more impressive.

“We face a very, very difficult opponent They are made for this competition,” Klopp added “There might have been a little advantage in the last two games – maybe Juventus or Bayern underestimated them, but that will never happen with us, especially after those four games.

“They are a really, really good football team who obviously want to make history as well. I think it would be the first time they could get to the final, which is a massive thing for Villarreal.

“But for us, it’s the same importance. We want to go there with all we have and that’s what we have to show on Wednesday night.”

‘Beating Liverpool almost impossible’

Spanish football journalist Alvaro Montero speaking to Sky Sports News about the semi-final:

“In Spain, we feel [beating Liverpool] is almost impossible. We have to remember that Villarreal is a club that has arrived to be one of the four best teams in Europe but they are from a tiny population of 5000 inhabitants, so playing against Liverpool for 180 minutes is almost impossible. They will try their best, but in my opinion, it will be an enormous surprise if they can qualify for the final, which will be their first.

“Unai Emery is not only a good coach, he’s good psychologically, but Liverpool have so many good players starting with Mo Salah, who is one of the best strikers in the world. Let’s see how well Villarreal react and how they perform. They have good players, like Gerard Moreno, Arnaut Danjuma and Dani Parejo, but it will be very, very difficult.”

Opta stats: Emery to stun Liverpool?

• Liverpool have reached the semi-final of the European Cup/Champions League for the 12th time, with no English side playing in the final four more often (level with Manchester United). The Reds have also reached the semi-finals of the League Cup, FA Cup and European Cup in the same campaign for the very first time.
• Of the 12 sides to have reached the semi-finals of the European Cup/Champions League on at least five occasions, only Benfica (7/8) and AC Milan (10/12) have a higher ratio of progressing to the final than Liverpool (82 per cent), who have managed to reach the final on nine of their previous 11 occasions.
• This will be the fourth time out of Villarreal’s last five semi-final appearances in major European competition to see them come up against English opposition at the final-four stage, with their only other encounter in this competition coming against Arsenal in 2005-06.
• Only in 2017-18 (10) has Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah scored more Champions League goals in a single campaign than the eight he’s notched this season, moving his tally for the club onto 33. The Egyptian is now just three behind both Didier Drogba (Chelsea) and Sergio Aguero (Man City) for the most goals netted in the competition for an English side (36 each).
• Since the start of the 2009-10 season, the inaugural Europa League campaign, Villareal manager Unai Emery has progressed from 84 per cent of his Europa League/Champions League knockout ties (31/37), the second-best ratio of any manager to have taken charge of at least 10, after only Zinedine Zidane (14/16 – 88 per cent).

Liverpool’s fixture schedule

April 27 – Villarreal (h), Champions League semi-final first leg

April 30 – Newcastle United (a)

May 3 – Villarreal (a), Champions League semi-final second leg

May 7 – Tottenham (h)

May 10 – Aston Villa (a), live on Sky Sports

May 14 – Chelsea (n), FA Cup final

Date TBC – Southampton (a), live on Sky Sports

May 22 – Wolves (h)