Reds deliver breathtaking vision of what they can be

Liverpool turned Anfield into a cauldron with a pulsating performance that booked them a place in the Europa League final and left their delirious fans dreaming of European glory again. Here are five things that The Daily Telegraph observed from the game ...

Liverpool show what Klopp can truly achieve with them

For all their inconsistencies over the league season, this was a magnificent display from Liverpool.

The Reds looked like a Jurgen Klopp team working the way Klopp wants them to, with a fierce press from the front led by Philippe Coutinho, Adam Lallana and Roberto Firmino, the best player on a night when the standard was high indeed.

Indeed, it was an exhausting, lung-bursting full-press that made you wonder how long they could keep it up.

But they did, and Villarreal buckled under the strain of the numbers that Klopp’s side managed to get into their final third.

In the end, the La Liga side never emerged from underneath the relentless pressure applied by Liverpool, and ended the game down to 10 men and broken.

Sturridge stands tall on the big stage

Daniel Sturridge’s omission from the starting line-up for last week’s first leg raised more than a few eyebrows, and it has become clear in recent weeks that the England forward has not been entirely happy with his lot at Anfield.

His failure to acknowledge the fans after last Sunday’s 3-1 league defeat at Swansea drew criticism, while his injury record has raised questions as to whether he can be relied on for the long term.

Yet, there are few better forwards in the Premier League than a fully fit Sturridge and, given his chance from the start last night, he showed he was up to the big occasion.

Moments after testing keeper Alphonse Areola with a snapshot from a tight angle, Sturridge struck clinically from close range to give Liverpool the aggregate advantage and send Anfield wild.

Villarreal’s Kop gamble falls flat

Perhaps Klopp’s pre-match words about the Anfield atmosphere got to Villarreal coach Marcelino Garcia Toral. Perhaps his players felt the pressure of trying to defend a slender first-leg lead with a first European final in sight.

Either way, Villarreal’s apprehension was laid bare by the way they decided to try to quieten the crowd by electing to defend the Kop in the first half after winning the toss.

If Marcelino hoped that would disrupt Liverpool’s rhythm, he was wrong. Perhaps he had not realised that in one of Anfield’s most memorable European semi-finals, against Chelsea in the Champions League in 2005, Liverpool had also been made to attack the Kop in the first half. They scored early that night, too. Roberto Soldado’s combustible first-half display suggested the visitors were on the edge; Victor Ruiz’s silly second-half red card was a signal they had tipped over it.

Man of the match: Roberto Firmino (Liverpool)

Liverpool’s front three were outstanding. On a night when goals were needed, they delivered an attacking display in stark contrast to the caution in the first leg. Sturridge, Coutinho and Firmino all deserved plaudits, but Firmino deserves special mention.

Perhaps the former Hoffenheim forward was seeking to prove a point after being left out of Brazil’s squad for this summer’s Copa America. If so, he succeeded.

The standing ovation he received when he was substituted in the closing minutes was thoroughly deserved.

Can Liverpool beat Sevilla?

On May 18 in Basel, can Klopp’s players once more generate the pressure that unsettled Villarreal?

Sevilla may be seventh in La Liga, three places and 12 points behind Villarreal. But they have won this competition for the past two seasons and Klopp’s side will face a very good Cup team standing in the way of their ninth European trophy.

Still, confidence and self-belief are now coursing through Liverpool, and as Lallana said, if Liverpool could reproduce that level of performance they need not fear anyone.

“It was a brilliant performance, we are reaping the rewards now for hard work earlier in the season,” he said. “We fancy ourselves against anyone if we play like that and press like that.” THE DAILY TELEGRAPH