Liverpool will be facing Villarreal in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals this Wednesday. Liverpool will be looking to secure their huge trophy for the year, as the Premier League title seems ever so distant as time goes on. The Reds are huge favorites coming into the match, especially against Villarreal, which surprised the world by eliminating Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals.

 

As the game is near, let's look at three Liverpool bold predictions for their Champions League semifinals first leg vs Villarreal.

Liverpool predictions for Champions League vs. Liverpool

Luis Diaz will continue to show why he is the future of Liverpool 

Despite having a very potent front three with Robert Firmino, Mohamed Salah, and Sadio Mane, Liverpool has routinely looked to add to their attacking talent. First, it was Diogo Jota, who was brought in from Wolverhampton in 2020.

Secondly, Liverpool spent £37 million on Luis Diaz in January of this year, and he has been sensational. The 25-year-old Colombian striker scored three in eight appearances this season in the EPL and scored one goal against Benfica in the quarterfinals of the Champions League. As he might be included in the first 11 against Villarreal again, he will have another opportunity to shine on the grand stage of the Champions League.

Diaz is naturally deployed on the left wing, a prototype of a winger playing on the opposite side of his preferred foot. As Sadio Mane is definitely the starter there, Diaz is looking to make an impact playing in the middle, or after coming off the bench. Diaz has generally given Liverpool another option to deploy offensively, which has been monumental for their effort on multiple stages this year. Despite coming over just in January, Luis Diaz has already made 17 appearances for the Reds and he will only get better as time goes on. If given the chance, Diaz's pace and athleticism will be critical against the tough but sluggish Villarreal defense.

Mohamed Salah will add to his Ballon d'Or case 

Even though it is only April, the world of football is already counting achievements and accolades for the prestigious Ballon d'Or. Karim Benzema seems like an early frontrunner, especially after his heroics in the Champions League. Robert Lewandowski is still scoring in bunches, while Kevin De Bruyne might have a Premier League title in his back pocket.

However, Liverpool has a horse in that race, and his name is Mohamed Salah. Salah has been incredible for Liverpool for a few seasons now, but this year, he already has 30 goals this season. 22 of them are Premier League tallies, but eight of them are in the Champions League, including some key goals, such as the second goal versus Inter Milan in the Round of 16.

As his competitors for the award are somewhat running away with their cases, Salah will need to produce a great showing to bolster his claim for the award. There is no better place or time than his Liverpool playing in Anfield in the Champions League semifinals for the Egyptian to show his true worth. Granted, he has been showing it for the entire season and especially in 2022, but this is a special stage.

Of course, if Liverpool makes it to the final of the Champions League, Salah will have an even bigger stage to show off his talents. But as of right now, he should use this opportunity to really put his stamp on this game.

Liverpool will win comfortably 

With all due respect to Villarreal, Liverpool seems just too strong. Despite some struggles against Inter Milan in the second game of their Round of 16 matchup, the Reds have been on an absolute tear this season. Their last loss in the league happened in December last year, and their last loss overall was to Inter in March.

Unfortunately for Liverpool, they will likely finish second in the league, but that should be an extra motivator to really pursue the Champions League as a way to get a major trophy on their hands this season. To get to that trophy, Liverpool will need to go through Villarreal. It all starts on Wednesday.

Our prediction is that Liverpool will win this first leg comfortably. Now, it could be somewhat of a struggle at times, due to Villarreal's midfield stability, but it should not matter in the end. The attacking prowess that Liverpool possesses will prove to be too strong for the Villarreal defense.

Unfortunately for the Spaniards, it will be the first half of the end of their Champions League campaign, while Liverpool will be looking to sail through the second leg by winning this one with multiple goals in the net of the Yellow Submarine.