Villarreal CF return to the venue where they played the UEFA Europa League semi-final second leg in the 2015/16 campaign

Football gives second chances. Villarreal CF return to Anfield six years after being knocked out in the semi-finals of the 2015/16 UEFA Europa League. The Yellows will face Liverpool FC again in the run-up to a major European final, although this time in the top continental competition.

The Yellows and Reds have only met on this occasion, when the English side knocked out Villarreal CF after a competitive tie in which the ‘groguet’ side won 1-0 in the first leg, played at the old El Madrigal, with a single goal from Adrián López. Despite the early lead, Liverpool turned the tie around with a 3-0 win at Anfield. A Bruno Soriano own goal early in the game was followed by second-half strikes from Sturridge and Lallana.

Liverpool, a new European giant in Villarreal’s way

Villarreal CF have reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League for the second time in history. The ‘groguets’, after facing Arsenal FC in 2006, have once again earned the right to be one of the four best teams in Europe.

An incredible achievement for the ‘groguets’, who have come a long way to reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. Villarreal CF reached the last 16 as runners-up to Manchester United in the group stage. The English and Spaniards eliminated Young Boys and Atalanta. The ‘groguets’ surprised the world by eliminating two of the best clubs in the world, Juventus FC (1-1 and 0-3) and FC Bayern (1-0 and 1-1), in the round of 16 and quarter-finals, respectively.

Liverpool’s journey to the semi-finals

Liverpool FC have reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League after eliminating SL Benfica in the quarter-finals (1-3 and 3-3) and Inter Milan (0-2 and 0-1). In the group stage, Jürgen Klopp’s side finished top of Group B after winning all six of their matches against Atlético de Madrid, AC Milan and Porto FC.