91Èȱ¬

So after the first legs of the two Champions League semi-finals it is advantage to the Premier League, with Manchester City and Liverpool leading.

Two big second legs await in Spain next week.

Thanks for joining us tonight. We'll be back again tomorrow with two more European semi-finals featuring English sides and a big Premier League game too.

Night all.

Villarreal boss Unai Emery talking to BT Sport: "We can't tell nothing about the victory because they deserve it. The first half was defensively good but we didn't achieve in attack.

"They had two or three chances to score. The second half was the same and they pushed and deserved to score. 2-0 is a good difference for them, for us not a good result but we will try to dream and do something different in our home.

The match next week will be very different than tonight. It is very important in our home to change something, maybe tactically. They are going to suffer more than tonight."

Liverpool

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, speaking to BT Sport: "It was a brilliant game. First half I liked a lot. We didn't score, that is the only problem actually. But we kept them quiet, which is important because of the attacking threat that they are. We tried to create, tried to be direct, mix it up, all these kind of things, play through the lines, over the lines. We had a lot of good moments, no goals, true. In the second half we finished the situations off in a superb way. Both goals were outstanding. We wanted to score a third but from that moment on it makes sense that we control the game and that is what we did.

"In football it is always the same. You show the respect to the opponent in the way that you defend them. That is what we did and I liked it a lot. The counter-press was outstanding. The boys were really in the game from the first to the last second and that is why we won. It is only half-time but it is better than before the game.

"Maybe for the second leg, Gerard Moreno will be back, maybe one more. This is not all and is not a problem, we knew this before that we had two legs. If it is 0-0 tonight we go there anyway so it is all fine."

A team has progressed to the final after a 2-0 away defeat in the first leg of a European semi-final on seven occasions, including twice in the Champions Cup/Champions League: HSV against Real Madrid in 1979-80 (won 5-1 in the second leg) and Roma versus Dundee United in 1983-84 (won 3-0 in the second leg).

Liverpool progressed from all eight European knockout ties they recorded a 2-0 home victory in the first leg.

On a more positive note, Liverpool have won the first leg of a Champions League knockout stage tie for the 15th time; they have gone on to progress in each of the previous 13 instances since being eliminated by Bayer 04 Leverkusen in 2001-02 (1-0 W in the first leg, 4-2 L in the second leg).

Look, I don't want to worry any Liverpool fans, but the Reds have conceded at least three goals in the away leg of each of their last three Champions League semi-final ties:

2007-08 – Chelsea 3-2 Liverpool (after extra time)

2017-18 – Roma 4-2 Liverpool

2018-19 – Barcelona 3-0 Liverpool

Saidmadrid: patience paid off for Liverpool in the end..it took time to break that stubborn Villarreal defence, but the reds found the way...powerful performance

Richard Dominy: You feel Liverpool really needed that third goal to give some promise of a result in the return leg. As it is could be a tight match

Liverpool

Liverpool midfielder Thiago: "We have to recognise that we are playing a semi-final of the Champions League against a tough team like Villarreal and have to have the space to be ourselves, that's the key.

"I really enjoyed the team performance, that for me is the best thing, because we put our level as high as possible and we delivered today."

On second leg: "It will be hard there, I know this stadium before because of my time at Barcelona but we don't have time to think about the game there we have to think about our game at the weekend so that's all for us."

Former England striker Michael Owen on BT Sport: "Villarreal have just got a pulse. If Liverpool nicked another one it would have been game, set match. If Villarreal get an early goal in Spain you never know.

"This was total dominance. It's the best team I’ve ever seen in a red shirt. They swarm you. Villareal must think 'what’s hit us?' It’s impossible to stop this unbelievable press. They’re relentless.

"Imagine it[the quadruple]. It’s impossible... but now you’re thinking can it happen? The way they’re playing, the belief, you’re thinking can it happen?"

Former England defender Rio Ferdinand on BT Sport: "This is the best Liverpool team I’ve ever seen. They’re relentless with and without the ball. It’s the way they press teams, the energy, effort, application, you marvel at it.

"That [the quadruple] has got to be the aim. They are going to set themselves the target. If they achieve it they’re immortal, they are above anyone that has played the game in this country. Whether they can achieve it remains to be seen. But they’re ticking boxes along the way at the moment."

Liverpool

Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson, speaking to BT Sport: "They are a very organised team and we knew they would make it difficult. It was just important that we kept going and believe that we would eventually break them down. We did that with two good goals.

"First one was a bit lucky. Good build up but a bit lucky, in off the defender and keeper I think. But you need a bit of luck when a team plays with a low block. We got that and it lifted the crowd. Majority of the game, the counter-press was really good. It made it difficult for them. But the game is still alive and it will be tough in Villarreal."

Liverpool defender Andrew Robertson: "We had a few chances in the first half, trying to break them down. We had a bit of momentum after the first goal and the noise in here was incredible. It took us to the second one. We would have liked one more but a clean sheet and two goals, we can't argue with that.

"It is the semi-final of the Champions League. If you can't run around for 90 minutes in this kind of game, when will you. Our intensity has been high last couple of games. We have had a hectic schedule but we are enjoying it. There is still work to do but we are happy."

Karen Carney
Former Chelsea midfielder on 91Èȱ¬ Radio 5 Live

Complete control - controlled the whole game, from the first to last minute. There was a period of 10 minutes in the second half where they just turned it on and that's the sign of a fantastic team, they sense the moment and take it. That's why they're in the hunt for four trophies because they are experienced enough to know when to do it.

No threats to Alisson whatsoever and it's a brilliant controlled performance from Liverpool.

Well, the Villarreal fans aren't disappointed. They greet their players at the away end with a sea of twirling scarves.

They are still in the tie. Just.

Villarreal came for a 0-0 but two goals in two second-half minutes gives Liverpool control of the tie.

The Spanish side are going to need to have a completely different game plan back on home turf.

Giovani lo Celso floats the free-kick into the box and a Liverpool head meets it first to glance the ball away.

Villarreal have a late free-kick, in the Liverpool half. This well be the last attack of the game...

Fahim: Spanish dominance in the Champions League is at an end....

Economarkets: I know you can only beat what's in front of you, but Liverpool's whole champions League campaign this year feels more like Europa League based on their opponents. Couldn't dream of any easier run to the final

The 90 minutes are up. We'll have two added.

Giovani lo Celso does brilliantly to work his way away from three Liverpool players but before he can create anything meaningful Fabinho slides in to tackle.