'Liverpool will be a bit more humble than Bayern Munich were,’ said Villarreal defender Pau Torres ahead of this week’s Champions League semi-final. ‘They will know what we are all about.’
Torres was referring to the way the German team underestimated the smallest club left in the competition. But Liverpool will be more than aware of their opponents on Tuesday night, and not just for their exploits against the Bundesliga champions.
Almost half the Villarreal squad have played in England, it’s part of their off-the-wall charm that none did well enough to stay, and yet here they are 180 minutes from the Paris final, under the guiding hand of Unai Emery, who also knows what it feels like to not be given time in the Premier League.