Villarreal coach Unai Emery admitted his side set out to frustrate Liverpool and was largely happy with the plan despite a 2-0 defeat at Anfield on Wednesday evening in the first leg of their Uefa Champions League semifinal clash.
The Spanish’s side defensive approach backfired, but Emery said he is relieved that his troops will head into the second leg with only a 2-goal deficit.
An own goal and a Sadio Mane goal ensured victory for Liverpool in a game they dominated from start to finish.
Villareal failed to register a shot on target as they looked like a shadow of the daring team that knocked-out Juventus in the last 16 and beat Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals.
“I have to admit, it could have been much worse,” Emery told Movistar Plus.
“We have tried to attack, pass, and construct, but they did not let us do anything, and our last resort was to resist defensively to survive for the second match.
“We didn’t do enough to lament about anything. We have to be humble and try to make the second leg a totally different game. We have to play with more intensity like we are used to.”
Meanwhile, Villareal defender Tau Torres believes the tie is far from over.
“We are only two goals behind. Many things can happen in football, and 90 minutes is a long time. If we manage to score early, we are back in the tie,” said Torres.
“At home, we are a different team; we will go out there and play to win.
“We still trust in ourselves; we have no doubt. I can promise our fans they are going to see a Villarreal that they can identify within the second leg.”
