Europa League Win and Champions League Spot Could Be Liftoff for Jurgen Klopp
ANFIELD, Liverpool — "In no way whatsoever will we be affected negatively by the atmosphere," claimed Villarreal boss Marcelino in his pre-match press conference.
Words that would come back to haunt him as he raced frantically along the Anfield touchline with his side 1-0 down and clearly rattled inside the opening 10 minutes of Thursday night's clash. The Spaniard struggled to get his messages across to his players due to the noise of the ferocious Anfield crowd.
His players were late to tackles, looked unable to cope with Liverpool's impressive and non-stop pressing game, and his goalkeeper looked unsettled by his own team's decision to defend in front of the Kop in the first half.
Marcelino's bullish words, just like his celebrations after the 1-0 win in the first leg, came back to bite him.
"They will try to press us further up the field," he'd said pre-match, getting one thing right for sure.
“I think we might possibly see a new system and a change in personnel," he said, which was also correct as Jurgen Klopp was able to start Emre Can and Daniel Sturridge, opting for a 4-2-3-1 formation rather than the three-man midfield used in Spain last week.
"All those factors will not affect us in any way," added Marcelino. Affect them it did; from the atmosphere, to Liverpool's style, to Can's dominance in midfield, Sturridge's presence up front and Roberto Firmino's role as chief tormentor behind the forward.
This game was already on the way to being won when the two team buses arrived along Anfield Road pre-match, with thousands packing the streets to provide a very unique welcome.
A 3-0 win, with goals from Sturridge, Adam Lallana and a Soriano Llidoown-goal, gave Liverpool the 3-1 aggregate victory in the UEFA Europa League semi-finals and by no means flattered the home side.
Marcelino was singing from a very different hymn sheet post-match, claiming Liverpool played "on the margin of the rules at times" and suggesting that the referee favoured the Reds.
"Liverpool played better than us but for all their superiority they didn't create so many chances," he claimed, possibly requiring a re-watch of the match on television to review that opinion. Twenty-five shots with 12 on target suggests otherwise.
He also took a swipe at Klopp—with whom he was again involved in a touchline altercation during the first half—with the German responding in his post-match press conference, saying "I would not be like him one second in my life."
Klopp now takes his side to a second final in his seven months in charge at the club.
After the previous final, the Capital One Cup final in February—which Liverpool lost on penalties to Manchester City—Klopp proffered: "Only silly idiots stay on the floor and wait for the next defeat, you have to strike back."
Klopp told his players there would be more finals to come, saying: "For this and the next time we are in a final, you have to feel how it is when you lose."
Perhaps not many would have predicted a final would arrive within three months of that Wembley defeat.
Liverpool now head to Switzerland in a fortnight looking to end their season on the ultimate high, lifting their first European trophy since 2005, and in the process qualify for next season's UEFA Champions League.
That place among Europe's elite competition is what can completely change the immediate future of Liverpool Football Club. The difference between being in the Champions League and not is huge; for the players, for the fans and for the financial future of the club.
With TV revenue from the Champions League increasing again next season, and Manchester United and Chelsea not likely to be in the competition, this is a huge opportunity for Liverpool to get ahead of their rivals.
Both those clubs could be changing managers this summer, as too could Arsenal, while Liverpool have a manager in place who is perfect for the club and who rival supporters would want in charge of theirs.
Klopp will have had almost a season to assess his squad ahead of a first summer of being able to sign players and educate the squad further during pre-season.
Qualifying for the Champions League would be liftoff for Klopp at Anfield. Wednesday, May 18, is the biggest night of the German's Anfield reign so far, and it could lay down the perfect foundation for the future.
.
.