Liverpool vs. Villarreal player ratings: Jordan Henderson bosses midfield, and Sadio Mane does the rest

Wed, Apr 27, 2022
Soccer News (AP)

Liverpool vs. Villarreal player ratings: Jordan Henderson bosses midfield, and Sadio Mane does the rest

Liverpool have drawn first blood in their UEFA Champions League semifinal first leg against Villarreal CF with Jordan Henderson and Sadio Mane the scorers at Anfield on Wednesday.

For just over 50 minutes, it looked as if another Unai Emery masterclass might be on the cards as the Spaniards were rugged at the back and equal to anything thrown at them by the reds.

Ultimately, though, Jurgen Klopp's men torpedoed El Submarino Amarillo which sank without trace with not even a single shot on target over the 90 minutes.

Villarreal are not dead yet, especially if they can nab an early goal at home, but this is a monumental task ahead of them next week which feels like it might already be a stretch too far.

How did each Villarreal player perform in this one? Here are our player ratings for the match for every starter, substitute and manager.

All ratings are out of 10, and the higher the number the better. A zero would be a first-minute red card. A 10 would be like a dominant hat trick.

Name MinutesHow did they do? Rating

(GK) Geronimo Rulli

90

It was perhaps not all his fault, but the shot stopper's misjudgement for Henderson's opener was costly. A crueller version of Francis Coquelin's disallowed effort in the previous round vs. Bayern Munich.

4

(DEF) Juan Foyth

90

A solid effort from the Argentine up against Liverpool's left side of Andy Robertson and Luis Diaz, although equally not up to his Bayern heroics.

6

(DEF) Raul Albiol (c)

90

Until Pervis Estupinan deflected in Henderson's effort, it had been a resolute defensive display from El Submarino Amarillo and the veteran Spaniard was a key component in that. However, his central defensive pairing with Pau Torres was picked apart for Liverpool's second.

5

(DEF) Pau Torres

90

Like Albiol, it was a solid opening 50 minutes or so until the opener and then cracks started to appear which the hosts exploited right down the middle.

5

(DEF) Pervis Estupinan

72

Unlucky with the deflection and also booked, it was a difficult evening for the Ecuador international who was then substituted.

4

(MID) Samuel Chukwueze

72

Emery was unable to use the Nigeria international to the same devastating impact as in Munich and his outing rather reinforced the idea that he is better suited to the role of super sub.

5

(MID) Dani Parejo

72

One of three players withdrawn with 18 minutes to play, the game plan had gone out of the window by then and Parejo's key role had gone with it.

5

(MID) Etienne Capoue

90

Perhaps left on to physically compete in the middle instead of leaving the technically gifted Parejo on, the veteran Frenchman was workmanlike if nothing else.

6

(MID) Francis Coquelin

57

Sacrificed after 57 minutes when Liverpool had just got their second, the Frenchman might have fared better in place of his compatriot and alongside Parejo as Villarreal searched for a route back into the tie.

5

(FWD) Giovani Lo Celso

90

Too isolated to weave his magic, his picked up a booking for his troubles on a frustrating evening.

4

(FWD) Arnaut Danjuma

86

Surprising that it took so long for him to be hooked considering how little of the ball the Spaniards were getting in attack which stopped him from adding to his impressive season tally.

5

SubstitutesReplacedHow did they do?Rating

Alfonso Pedraza

Coquelin

Given 33 minutes, but the damage had already been done in terms of Emery's plans and Villarreal hopes of springing a shock result.

5

Serge Aurier

Parejo

A bit of a bizarre introduction considering the situation Villarreal were in as the Ivorian's attack-minded approach was never going to be of use in a game of zero chances.

5

Manu Trigueros

Estupinan

Relief for the beleaguered Estupinan, it was one of a number of changes made with 18 minutes to go and felt like it was designed to conserve certain figures.

5

Boulaye Dia Chukwueze A goal threat in a game where little to nothing was being created which added to the sense of surprise that Parejo was also withdrawn around the same time. 5
Paco Alcacer Danjuma A desperate late roll of the dice to grab a late consolation, he was given five minutes to salvage something which was always going to be a tough ask. 5
ManagerSubs usedHow did the manager do?Rating

Unai Emery

5

This was not one of the Spanish wizard's finest moments, although it was working for a while. Once the deadlock was broken, Villarreal were too slow to respond and the changes were odd when they arrived. Zero shots on target over 90 minutes tells its own story as to how hard it was for the visitors.

4

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