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What time does it start?
It’s one of those funny Thursday night Europa League times of 8.05pm.
Where can I watch it?
As with most European football matches these days, it’s on BT Sport Europe from 7.15pm. BT are also showing the other semi-final — Shakhtar Donetsk v Sevilla — on BT Sport 2 from 8pm. Alternatively, you can follow all the action right here when this page turns into our live blog at 7pm.
Villarreal vs Liverpool
UEFA Europa League
28th April 2016, 20:05 pm BST
Estadio El Madrigal, Villarreal
Live Stream: Watch Villarreal vs Liverpool live online
What do we know about Villarreal?
If Villarreal reach their first European final at the fourth attempt it will be because of a carefully cultivated blend of home-grown players and intelligent purchases.
No-one believes they have an easy task in their Europa league semi-final against Liverpool, one of the game’s giants with a clutch of European silverware in their trophy cabinet.
But the Spanish side’s appearance in the last four at El Madrigal today vindicates the 19-year strategy of their Valencia-born billionaire president, Fernando Roig.
Last year the club reinvested the €55 million they received from high-profile sales, including Gabriel Paulista to Arsenal and Luciano Vietto to Atletico Madrid, to set up them up for the new season.
They brought in former Spain striker Roberto Soldado for €10 million and Cedric Bakambu for €7 million, with the Congolese their top scorer on 22 goals in all competitions.
The newcomers have blended with regulars Bruno Soriano, Mario Gaspar, Jaume Costa and Manu Trigueros, who all came through the academy, the fruit of a €42 million investment in the youth structure by Roig when he first assumed control.
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With Villarreal on course for a return to the Champions League next season — they are four points clear in fourth place in La Liga with three games left — the mix looks potent for a team who have spent just 16 of their 93 years in the top flight.
Read Jonathan Liew’s feature on the rise of Villarreal and the spirit of an owner like no other.Click here
Team news
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Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho remains unavailable for selection after his failed drugs test so Kolo Toure is set to keep his place.
Striker Christian Benteke has travelled with the squad but has not played for more than a month because of a knee injury and is likely to only be on the bench.
With Jordan Henderson and Emre Can injured, Lucas Leiva and James Milner will play in central midfield.
Provisional squad: Mignolet, Clyne, Toure, Lovren, Moreno, Milner, Lucas, Lallana, Firmino, Coutinho, Sturridge, Ward, Skrtel, Smith, Allen, Brannagan, Chirivella, Ojo, Ibe, Benteke.
What are they saying?
Villarreal manager Marcelino
“Liverpool might be the favourite — the club, their history and the fact that they knocked out Borussia Dortmund all add up — but we don’t consider ourselves to be less than them. We are going to give everything from our side to eliminate this legendary team.
“We don’t have any pressure on us. I’m really satisfied with and grateful to this squad for getting to this semi-final. We are very hopeful and convinced that we are capable of beating Liverpool, and all the while we’ll be enjoying the occasion.
“I felt more pressure in the previous knockout ties. We have the chance to make history at this club now. If we manage to enjoy the match and do the things we know how to do I think they’re going to suffer a lot at our ground.”
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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp
“It is important to understand my players came into a semi-final because they were always ready for the moment and never thought about the next round. It is important I show the players the respect they earned, which means I don’t need to speak to them about things they did well.
“We are here because we respected this tournament each round. There is no doubt from my side. Villarreal did the same until now so it is not about talking about the final.
“Villarreal show the highest level of football each week; the Spanish league is unbelievably strong and they play with such balance, structure and discipline and if you let them they play football.”
Who are the favourites to win tonight?
http://celetoday.com/liverpool-vs-villarreal-live/
Villarreal 6/4
Liverpool 2/1
Draw 11/5
How Liverpool can beat Villarreal
http://celetoday.com/liverpool-vs-villarreal-live/
By Jonathan Liew
Stop Cedric Bakambu
If Liverpool leave Bakambu one on one with, say, Kolo Toure, then tears will be the likely result: hamstring tears as well as salty-eye tears. There’s a reason why Atletico Madrid are looking very closely at the 25-year-old Congolese striker: he’s quick, he can carry the ball well at speed, he turns quarter-chances into half-chances, and he works hard off the ball too. His speed allows Villarreal to sit deep in big games and play on the counter-attack, which they may well do again on Thursday. Stop him (or more realistically, stop the supply to him), and Liverpool will be halfway towards a clean sheet.
Dominate in midfield
Like an increasing number of teams in La Liga, Villarreal play a 4–4–2: not as layered or diffused as the 4–2–2–2 they used to play under Manuel Pellegrini, but a more structured version. Samu Castillejo on the left is a more traditional winger, who can use his pace on the outside or cross from deep. On the right Denis Suarez, formerly of Manchester City, prefers to drift inside and create passing triangles. As a general rule of thumb, captain Bruno tends to sit, while the other midfielder — Tomas Pina against Real Sociedad, probably Manu Trigueros on Thursday night — tends to press. If Jurgen Klopp plays a diamond in midfield to counter them, Villarreal could find themselves occasionally outnumbered, or at the very least forced to give up possession and drop very deep.
Gegenpress Eric Bailly
Watch Villarreal vs Liverpool live online TV
If Mateo Musacchio shakes off injury to start, Villarreal should have two centre-backs who can both play out from the back, and are both comfortable being dragged out wide. Bailly was signed in January 2015 as a replacement for Gabriel Paulista when he moved to Arsenal. In the year-and-a-bit since his arrival he’s moved to a new level, to the point where Pep Guardiola is rumoured to be interested in taking him to Manchester City next season. He’s superb on the ball, but still has the odd impetuous error in him and can get flustered if he loses possession. He’s the one Liverpool should press.
Expose their lack of height
One explicit weakness that Villarreal have is that they have very few tall players across the pitch. Neither Bakambu nor Roberto Soldado — once of Spurs, although nobody actually remembers for sure — is blessed with height. Bailly, at a shade over 6ft 1in, is their tallest defender, which means Liverpool may be able to get at them with set pieces. And while most Liverpool fans would probably rather see Klopp himself up front than Christian Benteke, this is one of those games that the Belgian’s aerial ability might be able to break open.
Avoid giving away sloppy free-kicks
Apart from being “one of the best midfielders in Europe”, according to his coach Marcelino, Bruno can also deliver a mean free-kick. He hit the bar with a scorching effort against Real Sociedad on Sunday night, and earlier this season his curling goal was the difference in a fiercely-fought local derby against Gary Neville’s Valencia. Suarez is also an excellent free-kick taker. Klopp should be urging Liverpool not to concede petty fouls around the penalty area.