UCL: Klopp hails Liverpool as 'mentality monsters' after eclipsing Villareal to reach final

It was a delight for English giants, Liverpool, as it eclipsed Spanish colossi, Villareal in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) semis. Leading 2-0 after the opening leg at Anfield, The Reds won 3-2 in the second leg at the Estadio de la Cerámica on Tuesday, while it happened to be a 5-3 aggregate win. Meanwhile, Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp has hailed his side as 'mentality monsters'.

As for the game, Boulaye Dia gave the hosts the lead in the third, followed by the second from Francis Coquelin in the 41st, as Villareal led 2-0 at half-time. In the subsequent half, Fabinho pulled one back for the visitors in the 67th, followed by Luis Diaz's strike in the 27th, while Sadio Mané scored the winner in the 74th. It is Klopp's third UCL final with Liverpool.

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Rating the win, Klopp said after the success, “Outstanding, massive, it feels like the first one because it’s always so special. I love it, the sound of it the whole night. It feels so special because it was so difficult for us. Before the game, I told the boys I wanted the headlines to be the mentality monsters were in town. I wanted it from the first moment, but the second half was like that. How we came back in the second half was so special. It was a top performance.”

Speaking on Liverpool's chances of quadruple, Klopp reckoned, “It is really difficult. That is why nobody has ever done it before. We will make sure we are ready for these finals. We will give it a go. That’s for sure.” The Reds have already won the EFL Cup and will be playing the FA Cup final against Chelsea this month. It is a point behind defending champion and table-topper Manchester City in the 2021-22 English Premier League (EPL) title race.