Liverpool is coming into the Champions League semifinals with a ton of confidence. The Reds are the most successful English team in the competition, winning it six times in their history. Their last win came relatively recently, in 2019, and they will be looking to repeat the success this season. Liverpool was fairly lucky to draw Villarreal in the semifinals, but regardless of the opponent, Liverpool looks like a team ready to beat anyone. On that note, we look at three bold reasons Liverpool should be considered the Champions League favorite heading into the semifinals.

Reasons to consider Liverpool Champions League favorites

Liverpool has the best player in the world 

Unlike the previous decade, where the best player in the world discussion was binary, this period has a ton of contenders. Some would say Karim Benzema, some Robert Lewandowski, and there are even those who consider Kylian Mbappe to be in that discussion. Yet, Liverpool's Mohamed Salah seems one level above them all. That is, obviously, not meant as disrespect to the greatness of others, rather a recognition of the hard work that the Egyptian winger has put in. His physical attributes, combined with his very high footballing IQ and goalscoring instincts, have contributed to Salah going from a solid Serie A player in Roma to a world-class winger and the best player in the world in Liverpool.

Now, there is a very famous saying in basketball that states that when you have the best player on the court, you always have a chance. Given that football has 11 players on the field, having the best player is by default less noticeable than in basketball. Yet, when you have Mo Salah, as Liverpool does, the difference he makes is monumental. It is not only about his assists and scoring, rather about the pressure he puts on the opponent when the ball is in Salah's possession on the right flank. Due to his speed and dribbling, Salah cannot be left alone on an island on single coverage, thus at least two players have to be drawn to this side. That opens up a ton of space for others and that is just one of the reasons why Salah is the best player on the planet right now.

They have the best manager in the world 

Just like the debate about the best player, this one is fairly contested right now. Thomas Tuchel is doing great, considering the issues Chelsea has as of right now, while Pep Guardiola is set to win his fourth EPL title since taking over Manchester City. Yet, Jurgen Klopp seems to be the best all-around manager. Not only are his Gegenpressing tactics amazing, but his man-management has been revered as the best in the business. This season, despite some early season struggles in the league, has shown exactly how amazing Klopp has been. Liverpool fans were patient with the German and they were rewarded with Champions League and EPL success in the last three years.

Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp has been a team transformed, as they have been able to finally break through consistently to the top of European football. As Klopp himself has said, it was a mix of tactics and his emotional way of managing the team that was the key to the success of Liverpool. Even though Guardiola is still in the competition, just like Madrid's Carlo Ancelotti, we can say that Liverpool has the best manager in the competition and, by default, in the entire football world.

Liverpool have the best form in the world right now 

If we look at all the other teams left in the Champions League, Liverpool is far beyond all the other teams, form-wise. Starting with their opponents, Villarreal, they have been wildly inconsistent in their domestic league. Despite massive wins versus Juventus and Bayern Munich, the Yellow Submarine has been dismal at times. For instance, they lost to Cadiz and Levante in the league just one month ago. When it comes to Real Madrid, they are slowly going towards a title in Spain, but they have been poor at times as well. Madrid infamously lost the El Clasico 4-0 at home and lost to Getafe in their first game of 2022. Additionally, they have not looked amazing in the Champions League, relying mostly on the genius of Karim Benzema.

Manchester City closely matches the incredible form of Liverpool, but even the Citizens are still behind the Reds. Since the calendar turned to 2022, they lost to Spurs at home and dropped points to Crystal Palace and Southampton, through 0-0 draws. In addition to that, Liverpool beat Manchester City in the semifinal of the FA Cup, and City managed to get two late goals to soften the 3-0 rout they experienced in the first half. Therefore, no club left in the competition can even come close to the incredible form Liverpool has been in since 2022 arrived. They should be considered clear favorites to win their seventh Champions League in their history.