Villarreal believed in miracles, for at least 45 minutes, as they fought only to level their Champions League semi-final clash against Liverpool in the second half of Tuesday’s second leg.
The Spanish side took a 2–0 lead on the night as a team on a mission and were roared by their loyal fans who packed inside their modest stadium.
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They stood on the brakes to applaud and a deafening chorus of “Yes we can” leveled the tie at 2-2.
Yet it was a two-part tale for a Liverpool team that rocked a nervous performance to return after the break, excited and smelling of blood.
He scored three goals in a 12-minute spell to return to his third European Cup final in five seasons to lead a 3–2 win and a 5–2 aggregate success.
“Tonight is a night to be proud of. The team believed until the end,” an emotional Gerard Moreno told reporters.
“The first half was incredible, one of the best of the season. The match was put on the way we wanted, but physically the effort was noticeable and they are great,” Villarreal added.
Villarreal had seen a shadow of themselves in the first leg at Anfield, but were a completely different team in Spain.
“We showed that we didn’t get here for no reason,” coach Unai Emery told reporters.
“We followed our plan, had an amazing first half but in the second half we ran out of gas. There was no more power to react as they came out better after the break.”
Liverpool had exposed Villarreal’s limitations in the first leg at Anfield as well as their limited options when they suffered significant injuries.
Villarreal was almost in a tie as long as star player Moreno remained on the field.
Moreno, who has missed a part of this season including the first leg in England due to injury, was replaced early in the second half.
“We go out with our heads held high,” he said.
“Our fans believed in us ever since we arrived and we tried our best to make it to the final. People thought we couldn’t get here. The word that best defines this team is pride.”
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