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When the Champions League started, no one could have predicted Villarreal would be in the semifinals facing Liverpool.
The small Spanish club only joined La Liga from the lower divisions in 1998, but this will be their second Champions League semifinal, following the 2005-06 campaign. They bested Juventus in the round of 16, then surprisingly eliminated Bayern Munich 2-1 on aggregate. Now, as they prepare to face Liverpool, many football analysts are unsure how to predict this matchup.
Here are three bold Villarreal predictions for the Champions League semifinals first leg vs Liverpool.
Bold Villarreal predictions for Champions League match v Liverpool
Villarreal will not simply fold to Liverpool
Everyone is aware that Villareal is much weaker than Liverpool in terms of pure talent. Even before the Champions League started, Liverpool was considered one of the favorites. As a club that last lost in December 2021, they are entering the semis as massive favorites. Yet, even if they lose by a huge margin, Villarreal will not simply fold to anyone, not even the mighty Reds.
The Yellow Submarine, as Villarreal is known, is a team that is very compact and solid. They are definitely not prone to being torn up by opponents, especially not in Europe. Their biggest defeat this season came at the hands of Manchester United, and even that was only 2-0, with both goals scored in the last 15 minutes of the game.
Their strength and stability come from their midfield, where Villareal can go toe to toe with any club in the world. The midfield trio of Etienne Capoue, Dani Parejo and Manu Trigueros has been fantastic this season. It has not always bred the most convincing results, but it always got the majority of the job done. They also have great situational support in guys like Giovani Lo Celso, Vincente Iborra and Francis Coquelin. They are all deployed when needed and for specific tasks, like Lo Celso for breaking lines and Iborra and Coquelin for more defensive stability.
Regardless of their setup, Villarreal always have a plethora of midfield options they can deploy to try and control the game.
Arnaut Danjuma will completely expose Trent Alexander-Arnold
Trent Alexander-Arnold is one of the best right backs in the world, and the best one offensively. His overlapping runs, combined with his crossing ability, are the dream for an attacking right back. That all being true, TAA is prone to defensive errors and lapses of concentration, deficiencies that have plagued him ever since he joined Liverpool's top 11 in 2018.
Clearly, Jurgen Klopp has devised a great defensive plan where Alexander-Arnold's defensive issues are mitigated, but it will be difficult to mask them versus Villarreal's offensive threat Arnaut Danjuma.
The Dutch winger has been wreaking havoc on the left flank versus many teams in Spain and Europe. Overall this season, Villarreal's winger has 16 goals in all competitions, more than even Spain's first-choice striker Gerard Moreno. Moreno has been injured and played seven fewer games than his Dutch teammate, but it is still an impressive feat for a largely unknown player before his Villarreal stint began. Danjuma is rapid and technically gifted, so Liverpool will need to monitor that right flank of their defense with more attention.
Alexander-Arnold, both due to his offensive tendencies and defensive issues, will need massive help, whether it comes from Virgil van Dijk rotating towards his side, or the midfielders dropping to the byline to help out.
The first leg will be a draw, setting Villarreal up for success
After they lost 2-0 to Manchester United in the Champions League at Estadio de la Ceramica, Villarreal have been beyond impressive at home. They were arguably better than Juventus, even though it ended 1-1, and they demolished Bayern Munich, with the Bavarians leaving happy it was only 1-0 at full time.
In domestic terms, Villarreal lost just two games at home this year. One was a 3-1 loss to Barcelona due to two late goals by the Catalans, and the other was a shocking loss earlier in the season to Osasuna, also with a late goal. At home, they are solid and even world-class at times, but away from home, it is a different story.
Still, due to Villarreal's offensive threat being on the side where Liverpool is the weakest, and due to their incredibly stable midfield, they will likely play for a draw at Anfield. Liverpool is very strong, but overcommitting offensively might cause them issues on the counterattack. Klopp is too good of a coach to simply mindlessly attack, thus the first game will be a tactical battleground. Unai Emery, for all his criticisms, is proving himself as a world-class manager, so he will not be someone Klopp or Liverpool will walk over.
After the first game, Liverpool will have to visit Villarreal and as long as the scoreline is salvageable, the Yellow Submarine has a chance. If the first game is a draw, Villarreal have a living, breathing chance to play in Paris come late May.
