Liverpool 3 Villarreal 1: Liverpool win 3-1 on aggregate

What a night.  Another one of those memorable Anfield nights embellished by a guilt edged performance that simply battered Villarreal into submission.

Emre Can was immense.  Returning only three weeks after the initial prognosis was a season ender with damaged ankle ligaments.  He simply oozed majesty and maturity controlling the game from the off and that he lasted full 90 minutes was nothing short of amazing in a high octane packed performance where we pressed so hard that Denis Suarez blessed with dazzling skills was frustrated into launching into despairing tackles.

The atmosphere was tinged with electricity, buoyed by the sounds of You’ll Never Walk Alone reverberating around the ground coming off the back of the unlawful killing verdict at the Hillsborough inquest.

Liverpool were at in from start pressing high up the pitch with such intensity that we forced Villarreal out of their comfort zone and into a more hurried game.

It didn’t stop the away side testing Mignolet earlier on when Mario’s shot was expertly saved after a slight deflection from Soldado assist.

We were soon ahead.  Nathaniel Clyne cross from the right caused mayhem in the box and Roberto Firmino, who was magical all night returned with the ball with equal panic causing Bruno to inadvertently deflect the ball in.  It was just the start we needed.

We came inches from scoring a second when Lallana running on to delicious curling Milner pass, just failed to latch on to the ball as it went just wide of the far post with goalkeeper Alphonse Areola frozen to the spot.

Klopp will have been happy with the performance at half-time, if disappointed with the failure to get a second, with Villarreal using spoiling tactics at every turn and Soldado and Suarez losing the plot under the intense pressure with the aforementioned and Ruiz picking up needless yellow cards.

Early in the second-half Cédric Bakambu running through into the area, saw his chance snuffed out by a brilliant cover tackle by the imperious Lovren who has suddenly become the player Liverpool thought they were buying for £20 million.

Soldado who once upon a time seemed destined to be one of Europe’s top striker’s headed wide from a Jonathan dos Santos cross from the right.

Seven minutes later and Liverpool went further ahead when Sturridge, whose play had  looked sharper than a haircut from my local barber, fastened on to deft ball from Roberto Firmino to side foot his shot under Areola and against the inside of the post before seeing the ball roll across the line.

Anfield erupted, exploded with Daniel Sturridge wheeling away pumping his arms ahead in an emotion charged celebration.  Not for him this time the trademark dance, it was a release of frustration of not being picked in certain games of being doubted by some.

After the celebratory pack and dissipated he pumped his arms in the direction of the Anfield Road End, this was a player who wanted to play and had done what he is best at, putting the ball in the back of the net.

With Villarreal needing just one away goal to go through a moment of madness then pursued.  Victor Ruiz’s late stamp on Lallana saw him receive a second yellow card.

Rampant Liverpool wanted more and Firmino’s powerful left-footed forced the keeper to palm over.  Moreno as is wont almost caused thousands of hearts and more to miss a beat when he rashly pushed Denis Suarez inside the penalty area, fortunately for us there was no penalty award.

Nine minutes from time after sterling work from Firmino in getting behind the defence and to the by-line, he pulled the ball back to Sturridge whose scuffed shot was flicked in by Lallana loitering with intent in front of the goal.

We had reached our first European final in nine years and our second cup final of the year.  Anfield under Klopp has found itself again becoming a cauldron like days of old.

Man of the match: Emre Can – Never skipped a beat, literally controlled the game from start to finish provided the presence, steel and drive going forward we so badly missed in the first leg.

Sturridge gave us the clinical edge scoring one and having a hand in all three games.  His celebration said it all.

The whole team played in a rarefied atmosphere with Firmino quite simply on fire with Milner, Lallana and Lovren not far behind.

Another European final, where we belong.