Liverpool look to keep their hopes for a quadruple alive as they host Villarreal for the first leg of the UEFA Champions semi-final at Anfield.
Liverpool come into this tie unbeaten in 10 games in all competitions (8W D2). Villarreal have lacked serious consistency and have managed five victories (D2 L3) in their last 10 outings.
Liverpool and Villarreal have met twice in European competition, with both teams winning their home leg of the 2015-16 UEFA Europa League. Liverpool advanced to the final of that competition.
Villarreal haven’t managed a victory in their last eight outings against English sides away from home (D3 L5). Their latest defeat came at the hands of Manchester United in the group stages earlier this season.
Villarreal boss Unai Emery has faced Liverpool five times (once with Sevilla and four times with Arsenal), and those games produced a total of 26 goals (5.2 per game on average).
Unai Emery’s Sevilla team beat Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool 3-1 in the 2016 UEFA Europa League Final, which is the only time Unai Emery has faced Liverpool in European competition.
Villarreal’s only encounter with English opposition in the semi-final of this competition came against Arsenal in 2005-06. They lost 1-0 on aggregate and were also the final visiting side to play a European match at the old Highbury stadium.
Villarreal’s Gerard Moreno has registered four assists in the UEFA Champions League this season, with only three players managing more. Since 2003-04 this is the joint-most by a Spanish player in their debut campaign along with Gabi (2013-14) and Isaac Cuenca (2011-12).
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah has netted eight goals in this campaign. Only in 2017-18, he managed to score more goals (10).
Since the inaugural of the UEFA Europa League in 2009-10, Unai Emery has progressed from 84% of his UEFA Europa and Champions League knockout ties (31/37). A record bettered only by Zinedine Zidane (minimum 10 games), who has progressed 88% (14/16).
