Liverpool will need to overturn a one-goal deficit if they are to reach the Europa League final.
Former Liverpool striker John Aldridge has said his old side’s season rests on what happens on Thursday night at Anfield, and said he would be using the first leg celebrations from Villarreal as motivation for the Reds going into the second leg.
A stoppage time Adrian Lopez strike has given the Spaniards a narrow advantage from the first leg at El Madrigal, prompting wild celebrations from the Villarreal players and dugout.
Aldridge wrote in his Liverpool Echo column: “Those 90 (or will it be 120?) minutes will determine whether our campaign drifts into nothingness or enjoys a rousing finish.
“Lose, and it’s over. All we will have are three meaningless league games to take us into the summer, nothing to play for, nothing to get excited for.
“Shall I tell you something? If I was a Liverpool player preparing for this game, my motivation would be absolutely sky high.
“Did you see the way Villarreal’s manager and staff celebrated their win last week? You’d have thought they’d won the Europa League already. And La Liga, and the World Cup, and the lottery!
“It’s only half time, as Jurgen Klopp said. I’d be using those celebrations to get my players right up for the second leg. Time to put them in their place.”
It is certainly fighting talk from the former Liverpool striker, but he is right to point out this game could define whether this season is a potentially memorable one for the Reds or an utterly forgettable campaign that will inevitably be labelled with the word ‘transition’.
Liverpool’s current league position means that Champions League football cannot be achieved through that route so it all hinges on winning the Europa League.
Manager Jurgen Klopp commented on the celebrations after the match as well and it seemed to have got his back up a little, and he seems determined to ensure that his side overturn their first-leg deficit and make it through to the final in Basel.
It will be interesting to see just how Liverpool start the game at Anfield, as no one is expecting them to be as cagey as they were at El Madrigal. But it does look as if they will be facing a side that could be very difficult to break down.
The Reds have all the motivation they need, but they have to put it to good use.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
