Your team v Villarreal (Champion's League second leg)

**Insidious** · 30th April 2022, 02:22 PM

My God. The nerves.

........................Alisson

Trent.....Konate.....Van Dijk....Tsimikas

.......................Fabinho

................Keita........Thiago

.........Salah........Mane.........Diaz

Rotated a couple for rest, though Tsimikas has been ill so may not be able.

**Nineteenx** · 30th April 2022, 02:32 PM

Gomez was excellent today, very good defensively on our right with everything they tried to throw at him, they have to come and attack, at some point at least, I think we can afford Trent some more rest ahead of what is to come, i did have it in my mind for Keita to start at RCM, but yet again in today's game the drop off in the pressing and counter pressing and astuteness of our positioning after Hendo was subbed was very noticeable, so I went for captain fantastic again to try and put the tie out of sight before resting him for Keita again

Alisson

Gomez Konate Van Dijk Tsimikas

Henderson Fabinho Thiago

Salah Mane Diaz

I absolutely expect our lads to administer a thorough, hard, deep penetrating bumming, get the win and book themselves their place in this season's Champions League final

**Insidious** · 30th April 2022, 02:50 PM

Fair play Nineteen.

I want Henderson available for the Spurs game so if we can have him on the bench for this second leg I'd be really pleased.

Won't be an easy away leg but with effort we can control them.

**miller0863** · 30th April 2022, 06:40 PM

Villarreal lost 2-1 at second bottom Alaves today, they ain’t all that.

**Insidious** · 30th April 2022, 06:52 PM

Originally Posted by miller0863

Villarreal lost 2-1 at second bottom Alaves today, they ain’t all that.

Wouldn't read too much into that result.

Emery's sides that have done well in Europe (moreso the Europa of course with Sevilla, but still) haven't always had great League seasons when doing well in the Cups.

Some managers just click with Cup football. We certainly had a lot of fun with Rafa in the Cups.

Speaking of, we were so ecstatic that Rafa's side managed two Champion's League Finals in three years - could be three in five for Jürgen!!!

**Insidious** · 2nd May 2022, 10:27 PM

2005, 2007, 2018, 2019, 2022(?)

Five Champion's League Finals in 17 years would be some achievement.

To think we would be basically managing to reach one every 3-4 seasons despite some of the setbacks over the last 3 decades is fantastic to think of. If we have now overcome most of the issues that plagued the 90s and 00s then who knows what we may have to look forward to.

Huge stakes tomorrow - come on!

**Nineteenx** · 2nd May 2022, 11:54 PM

Maybe bring in Trent to release players with his passing from deep with Villareal having to 'try' and attack us, at least having to come out more

Alisson

Trent Konate Van Dijk Tsimikas

Henderson Fabinho Thiago

Salah Mane Diaz

I absolutely expect our lads to administer a thorough, hard, deep penetrating bumming, get the win and book themselves their place in this season's Champions League final

**Steveo** · 3rd May 2022, 07:56 AM

Won’t be easy at all. They were missing a fair few of their strongest 11 for the last game. We are going to have a monumental fight on our hands if they score the first goal tonight.

Real shame we couldn’t put this to bed at Anfield.

Tougher game than Atleti away in 2020… El Madrigal can be a cauldron.

I think Thiago will be key.

**justme** · 3rd May 2022, 08:06 AM

Steveo, very rarely we don't score in games.I somehow can't see them scoring 3 against us to take it into extra time

**Steveo** · 3rd May 2022, 08:19 AM

Indeed, but we haven’t scored yet, so they don’t need to score 3 to fake it to extra time. 3 would take them through. Obviously a 2:0 or a 3:1/4:2 scenario means we go again for 30 mins.

I am simply saying that this will not be easy. Far from it. This team are fighters and they have a passionate home support and a very wily manager