UCL semifinal second legs: What to watch out for
Whisper it, but is the quadruple actually on for Liverpool? Villarreal look to home comforts and Manchester City must take their chances – not an issue for Karim Benzema.
It is advantage to the English visitors as the Uefa Champions League semifinals head to Spain for the second legs. Liverpool will be big favourites on Tuesday as the Reds take a 2-0 lead to Villarreal, but the Yellow Submarine’s home form is cause for optimism for the underdogs.
On Wednesday, focus shifts 400km due west as Manchester City and Real Madrid resume their mouth-watering tie at 4-3 after a first leg for the ages.
Uefa.com considers the potential talking points as the four contenders aim to book places in the Stade de France final on Saturday 28 May.
IS THE QUADRUPLE ACTUALLY ON?
They couldn’t, could they? Jürgen Klopp’s stance on a potential quadruple has softened slightly over the past four weeks, from an “It’s not realistic” to an “I had no idea we’d be in this position”.
The Reds have already lifted the League Cup, they are going toe to toe with Manchester City for the Premier League and face Chelsea in the FA Cup final on 14 May.
Many are inking them in for the Champions League final a fortnight later but the way Klopp greeted the 2-0 first-leg win against Villarreal, face like thunder, suggests he will have no truck with complacency. There’s a reason that only one team, Celtic in 1966/67, have ever managed the quadruple.
VILLARREAL SEEK HOME COMFORTS
“It will be different at La Cerámica,” Unai Emery said after the first leg, a response that has since become a mantra for his Villarreal players.
Emery conceded the damage “could have been worse” at Anfield, but his and his team’s optimism for the return has foundations: the Yellow Submarine have not lost at home in over five months.
Like Liverpool, Bayern were also overwhelming favourites when they turned up in the quarterfinals, only to return to Germany smarting after a 1-0 defeat; the margin could have been greater. Against Liverpool, it will need to be.
WILL CITY RUE MISSED CHANCES?
“Riyad, Riyad,” Guardiola fumed when Riyad Mahrez squandered a golden chance to put City 3-0 up in the first leg, lashing into the side-netting rather than putting it on a plate for the unmarked Phil Foden.
It was the first of many opportunities to go begging (Mahrez alone could have had a hat-trick), and the English champions racked up an incredible 77 attacks to Madrid’s typically-better-than-average 28.
“We started really well and could have killed them off,” said Foden. “In these games, we need to take more chances.” Starting, you would think, at the Bernabéu.
BENZEMA CLOSING ON RONALDO RECORDS
Karim Benzema had never scored more than seven Champions League goals in a single campaign before this season; his first-leg goals took him to double that mark for 2021/22.
Read Also: EPL: Rangnick hails improved Man Utd in win over Brentford
“There aren’t the words to say what he is doing,” remarked partner-in-crime Vinícius Júnior.
The Frenchman is now one off Ronaldo’s record of ten goals in a single knockout campaign and needs three more to match the Portugal forward’s mark of 17 for a season – you wouldn’t bet against him. City’s hopes may rest with João Cancelo and Kyle Walker returning to cut off some supply.
In case you were wondering, the record for most goals in a Champions League semifinal tie is 13, set when Liverpool edged out Roma 7-6 in 2017/18.