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Liverpool survive Villarreal scare to reach Champions League final

:Headline: Liverpool survive Villarreal scare to reach Champions League final:
Liverpool reach the Champions League final after a 3-2 second-leg victory sealed a 5-2 aggregate semi-final win over Villarreal.
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Liverpool survived an early scare to see off Villarreal 5-2 on aggregate and reach the Champions League final after a 3-2 second-leg victory.

Jurgen Klopp's side headed to La Ceramica after posting a 2-0 first-leg victory at Anfield, during which Villarreal failed to have a single shot on target on the Merseyside turf.

However, Unai Emery's side came storming out of the blocks and had levelled the tie by half time courtesy of goals from Boulaye Dia and Francis Coquelin in front of the home crowd.

The Yellow Submarine could not keep up the intensity in the second 45, though, as Liverpool turned the game around through Fabinho, Luis Diaz and Sadio Mane to book their spot in the final.

Villarreal started the second leg with a new-look frontline of Dia and Gerard Moreno due to Arnaut Danjuma's injury, and the former took just three minutes to break the deadlock after Etienne Capoue found the Senegalese attacker for a tap-in.

Dani Parejo also fizzed an effort just wide of the post as Villarreal demonstrated an attacking bite that was absent in the first leg, while Liverpool endured a surprising period of sloppiness at La Ceramica.

Thiago Alcantara saw his effort in the 14th minute clip the bar but referee Danny Makkelie had already blown for a foul, and the official also waved away Villarreal penalty shouts when Alisson Becker collided with Giovani Lo Celso inside the area.

Four minutes before the break, Villarreal's dominance turned into a two-goal lead through Coquelin, who caught Trent Alexander-Arnold unawares and headed home from Capoue's cross to level the tie on aggregate.

Klopp responded to a disjointed and sloppy first half by bringing on Luis Diaz for Diogo Jota, and the Colombian attacker's introduction soon sparked new life into the Reds' XI.

With 55 minutes gone, a long-range effort from Alexander-Arnold deflected off the knee of Coquelin onto the bar, and Thiago's effort following the corner fell kindly into the grasp of Geronimo Rulli.

However, the Argentine goalkeeper - who was a shaky figure in the first leg - then allowed Fabinho's effort to trickle into the back of the net through his legs just after the hour mark as Liverpool took control of the tie again.

The Merseyside giants retained possession much better in the second 45 and restored their two-goal aggregate lead not long after Fabinho's effort, as the effervescent Diaz was left in acres of space and had the easy task of heading home from Alexander-Arnold's cross.

Villarreal's defence simply stopped and watched Diaz ghost in and put Liverpool firmly in control, and the semi-final was dead and buried in the 74th minute following yet another mishap from Emery's goalkeeper.

Rulli was caught in no man's land and lost out to Mane, who also dribbled his way past Juan Foyth and had the simple task of slotting home into an empty net to complete the Liverpool comeback.

Substitute Curtis Jones very nearly got in on the act for Liverpool with 10 minutes to go, but Rulli got down well to save the midfielder's effort that time.

Insult was soon added to injury for Villarreal as Capoue was sent off for a second bookable offence, but the Frenchman walked off to a standing ovation from the home crowd, who were in terrific voice all evening.

Emery's men could not produce something spectacular in the final moments as Liverpool advanced to their 10th Champions League final to keep the quadruple dream alive.

Either Real Madrid or Manchester City will now meet the Reds at the Stade de France on May 28, with Pep Guardiola's side travelling to the Santiago Bernabeu for Wednesday's battle with a 4-3 first-leg lead.

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Read more about Jurgen Klopp Unai Emery Boulaye Dia Francis Coquelin Fabinho Luis Diaz Sadio Mane Gerard Moreno Arnaut Danjuma Etienne Capoue Dani Parejo Thiago Alcantara Danny Makkelie Alisson Becker Giovani Lo Celso Trent Alexander-Arnold Diogo Jota Curtis Jones Juan Foyth Geronimo Rulli Pep Guardiola Football
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Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool16123137162139
2Chelsea17105237191835
3Arsenal1796234161833
4Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest179442319431
5Bournemouth178452721628
6Aston Villa178452626028
7Manchester CityMan City178362925427
8Newcastle UnitedNewcastle177552721626
9Fulham176742422225
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton176742726125
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1772839251423
12Brentford177283232023
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd176472122-122
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham175572230-820
15Everton163761421-716
16Crystal Palace173771826-816
17Leicester CityLeicester173592137-1614
18Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1733112740-1312
19Ipswich TownIpswich172691632-1612
20Southampton1713131136-256
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