Jurgen Klopp and Mohamed Salah have revealed who they would like to face in the Champions League final after Liverpool survived a scare to progress to the showpiece at Villarreal’s expense.
Klopp’s side came into Tuesday’s second leg with a two-goal advantage, but that was wiped out within 40 first-half minutes as the Yellow Submarine mounted a stirring comeback on home turf – although they were aided by some sloppy Liverpool defending.
Boulaye Dia opened the scoring within three minutes and former Arsenal midfielder Francis Coquelin made it 2-0 before the break, leaving the Reds’ quadruple hopes in the balance.
However, the half-time introduction of winger Luis Diaz changed the game and the visitors also benefitted from three awful errors from Villarreal goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli as they turned the match on it’s head in the second half, restoring their advantage courtesy of strikes from Fabinho, Diaz and Sadio Mane.
The 5-2 aggregate victory means Liverpool have earned the right to face either Manchester City or Real Madrid in the Champions League final in Paris on 28 May.
Speaking to BT Sport after the full-time whistle, Klopp and talismanic forward Salah had differing opinions on their preferred opponents for the showdown in the French capital.
“Yes, I will watch it [the other semi-final],” Klopp said. “Whoever it will be, it will be massive.
“I don’t wish for one or the other. Whoever wins will deserve it and then we will face each other in Paris.”
However, it seems Salah is out for revenge after infamously being injured and forced off after a challenge with then-Real captain Sergio Ramos as the Merseysiders fell to Los Blancos in the 2018 final.
“I want to play Real Madrid,” he said. “I have to be honest. If you’re asking me personally, I want to play Madrid.”
Man City currently hold a narrow 4-3 aggregate lead in that tie, with the two European giants set to go head to head at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night.
