‘He’s brilliant’: Gary Lineker responds as Liverpool FC beat Villarreal to reach final

Gary Lineker paid special tribute to Jurgen Klopp after his Liverpool FC side came from two goals down to claim a memorable 3-2 win over Villareal and secure their place in the Champions League final.

The Reds, who headed into the clash with a 2-0 lead from last week’s encounter at Anfield, started game on the back-foot and struggled to click into gear in the first half of the second leg of their semi-final clash.

Villarreal found themselves 2-0 up at half-time to level the tie on aggregate, with Boulaye Dia and Francis Coquelin both netting and helping the home side to capitalise on Liverpool FC’s poor showing.

However, Liverpool FC produced a vastly improved performance after the break, with Fabinho netting in the 62nd minute with a close-range finish.

Luis Diaz then continued his fine start to life at the Merseyside club when he scored Liverpool FC’s second of the night in the 68th minute with a smart header.

Sadio Mane made the result secure when he rounded Villarreal goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli and dodged multiple challenges before firing home into the empty net in the 74th minute to wrap up a 5-2 aggregate win.

The Reds will now take on either Manchester City or Real Madrid in the Champions League final in Paris on 28 May.

England legend Lineker was impressed by what he saw from the Reds in the second half and saluted Klopp for the way he got his team to respond in the second half.

Posting on Twitter after the Reds’ second goal of the night, Lineker wrote: “Very considerate of Liverpool to make it interesting for us for a while. Klopp, though, sorted it. He’s brilliant.”

After the final whistle, Lineker added: “A Villarreal-ity check as Liverpool make it through to yet another Champions League final.”

Meanwhile, former Chelsea FC star Chris Sutton also praised the Reds for the way they were able to turn the game around.

“It’s a big deal turning this round,” Sutton told BBC Sport as the game reached its conclusion. “They have characters in the dressing room. You have to be resilient and they’ve shown that in abundance.”

The win boosts Liverpool FC’s chances of securing a remarkable quadruple of trophies this season. Next, the Reds will prepare for their home Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Saturday night.

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