90min

How Twitter reacted to Liverpool's dominant win over Villarreal

By Jamie Spencer

Liverpool are on the verge away from the Champions League final
Liverpool are on the verge away from the Champions League final / David Ramos/GettyImages
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Liverpool blew Villarreal away in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final at Anfield on Wednesday night.

The 'Yellow Submarine' had already dumped Juventus and Bayern Munich out of the competition in previous rounds, but Jurgen Klopp's Reds never gave the underdogs a sniff.

The aggregate lead they take to Spain for next week's second leg is only 2-0, but it could so easily have been many more in the first half when a combination of an unconvincing Geronimo Rulli, the woodwork and well-timed blocks was all that kept Liverpool at bay.

Here is how the game played out on social media...

A lot has been made of the large ex-Premier League contingent at Villarreal, many of whom didn't make their mark in England. They have been whipped into shape by Unai Emery, himself a casualty of English football, but old habits die hard...

Luis Diaz was sharp in the first half. Geronimo Rulli, who was Villarreal's hero in last season's Europa League final against Manchester United, looked less than impressive even at 0-0.

Virgil van Dijk didn't have to do a lot of defending, although he did collect a rare Champions League yellow card for a first half body check on Samuel Chukwueze.

Liverpool were so good they limited Villarreal to very little going forward. Neutrals were denied seeing the same side that had dumped Juventus and Bayern Munich out previously.

It took a while for the first goal to come, but it wasn't for want of trying.

Eventually the breakthrough came in freak fashion.

Jordan Henderson's cross took a wicked deflection off Pervis Estupinan and left Rulli for dead as it soared into the back of the net.

Then the floodgates threatened to open as Sadio Mane added a second just minutes later.

Mane, a mark of consistency season on season since he arrived, beat the offside trap to put this game to bed and start a real party at Anfield.

Could Liverpool and Manchester City monopolise Europe for English clubs?

Another reminder that, yes, Alisson had nothing to do.

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