Villarreal v Liverpool betting tips: Reds in driving seat
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Preview, odds and Villarreal v Liverpool betting tips
Quadruple-chasing Liverpool are just 90 minutes away from the Champions League final after establishing a two-goal lead against Villarreal in the first leg at Anfield.
Two goals inside three second-half minutes gave the Reds a deserved 2-0 victory and they are 4/6 to come out on top again and 10/11 favourites to win the Champions League.
The Yellow Submarine barely laid a glove on Jurgen Klopp’s side, so let’s examine their prospects of a shock victory in our Villarreal v Liverpool betting tips.
Villarreal v Liverpool form
Things could not be going much better for Liverpool who beat Newcastle 1-0 at the weekend without the rested Mo Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Thiago Alcantara and Fabinho to boost their chances of adding the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup to the Carabao Cup they won in February.
The Reds are priced at 6/1 to win the quadruple and the feel-good factor moved up a notch on Thursday when Jurgen Klopp and his two assistants signed two-year contract extensions until 2026, so the scene is set for a thrilling climax to the season.
Klopp said: “We are a club that is constantly moving in the right direction. We have a clear idea of what we want; we have a clear idea of how we try to achieve it. That’s always a great position to start from.”
"We will fight for everything." 👊
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 28, 2022
Liverpool have won 12 of their last 14 Premier League games, 11 of which came without conceding, so another win to nil against the Spaniards has to be considered at 21/10, but the Reds failed to win the second leg in the last two rounds having won the first comfortably.
The Merseysiders held two-goal leads against both Inter Milan and Benfica, but lost 1-0 to the Italians and drew 3-3 with the Portuguese, so the Yellow Submarine are 18/5 to win, 29/10 to draw or 11/10 in the double chance market.
That said, the Spaniards, seventh in LaLiga, will need to show more ambition than at Anfield where they took just one shot and even that was not on target.
🎙 @UnaiEmery__ "At home, it will be a distinct game. We are going to be capable of proposing more."#UCL
— Villarreal CF English (@VillarrealCFen) April 27, 2022
Liverpool have won every game on the road in the Champions League, including victories at Atletico Madrid and both Milan clubs, so Villarreal are up against it if they are to reach their second successive European final having won last season’s Europa League in a penalty shoot-out with Manchester United.
The visitors won all five away matches by at least two match goals and a sixth is available at 19/20, while a victory with three or more is 27/20.
Despite struggling to finish in the top six in LaLiga, Villarreal have been very strong at home where they are unbeaten in five months.
Special nights them…Big Job to do next week! pic.twitter.com/VYdVW7hCPm
— Jordan Henderson (@JHenderson) April 27, 2022
Unai Emery’s side have won 10 and drawn five of their 17 home matches in LaLiga, but lost 3-1 to Barcelona at the Estadio de la Ceramica and drew 0-0 and 2-2 respectively with Real Madrid and Atletico, the only teams that can be compared with Liverpool.
With Villarreal virtually out of the running for a top-four spot in Spain, Emery made eight changes for Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at relegation-threatened Alaves, bringing off Pau Torres and Daniel Parejo at half-time, so the former Arsenal boss certainly hasn’t given up the tie.
After the defeat at Anfield, Emery said: “We wanted to win, wanted to take control, but they didn’t let us. We couldn’t run in behind them… we resisted defensively as much as we could so as to have options in the second game. It will be different at La Cerámica. We will test them much more.”
Klopp’s side are 21/10 to win and concede as one of our Villarreal v Liverpool betting tips, bearing in mind the Spaniards have only failed to score at home three times in all competitions this season – against Manchester United in the Champions League, and Real Madrid and Granada in LaLiga.
Villarreal v Liverpool head to head
Villarreal had the second best half-time record in the Spanish top flight prior to the weekend action, but a weakened team trailed at the break to Alaves and they have since slipped to fourth.
The Yellow Submarine were drawing 0-0 with the Reds after 45 minutes in the first leg and a repeat is priced at 2/1, while Draw HT/Liverpool FT is 10/3, with Draw HT/Draw FT 5/1.
The Reds broke the deadlock in the second half and are 9/1 to score their first goal between 51-60 minutes once more.
🗣 "We know we go there and it will be a tricky atmosphere for us and different from tonight."
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 27, 2022
They can also be backed at 13/8 just to keep a clean sheet, so that would also cover a goalless draw, but Klopp is aware how tough Villarreal will be in the second leg.
He said: “It is a dangerous scoreline. How much work is left to do? The full work is still to do. Nothing has happened yet. To be 2-0 at half-time you have to be 100 per cent in the right mood and play the second half like we played the first half.
“We know the other game will be a tricky atmosphere for us. These (Villarreal) players saw that tonight, this coach, they fight for it with all they have.”
Villarreal v Liverpool team news
Roberto Firmino will miss the second leg against as he has not fully recovered from a foot injury.
The Brazil international has missed the last four matches and, while he will travel with the squad to Spain, he is not in contention.
Forward Divock Origi returns after illness ruled him out at the weekend, while centre-back Ibrahima Konate, Thiago Alcantara, Fabinho and Mohamed Salah – all rested for Saturday’s win at Newcastle – are set to return.
Emery has been boosted by the new that striker Gerard Moreno, who missed the first leg, is back after injury, although they will be missing former Bournemouth winger Arnaut Danjuma who is ill.
Winger Yeremy Pino trained a couple of days before the game but was not deemed fit enough to play.
Goalscorer odds
With Salah rested at the weekend, the Egyptian is 18/5 to break the deadlock or 21/20 to score in Spain although he would probably have been favourite even if he had played the whole game at St James’ Park.
Mane scored the second goal against Villarreal and is 4/1 to net the opening goal of the game and 6/4 to strike again while Diaz is 9/2 and 17/10 in the two options.
Ibrahima Konate, who scored the opening goal in both legs against Benfica and the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City, can be backed at 33/1 to repeat the trick or 12/1 to be on target once more.
Aside from Moreno, Danjuma is the favourite among the certain starters for Villarreal at 11/2 and 15/8 while Chukwueze is 10/1 and 7/2 having scored the decisive goal against Bayern and in Saturday’s defeat at Alaves.
Match info
Where: Estadio de la Ceramica
When: 20:00, Tuesday 3rd May
How to watch: BT Sport
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
