Jurgen Klopp has warned his Liverpool players that it is "only half time" after taking control of the Champions League semi-final with a 2-0 first leg win over Villarreal at Anfield on Wednesday night.
Two second-half goals in quick succession gave the quadruple-chasing Premier League club a firm grasp of the tie after a match they dominated from start to finish. The deadlock was broken in the 53rd minute when Villarreal defender Pervis Estupinan deflected a Jordan Henderson cross beyond Geronimo Rulli, before Liverpool doubled their lead two minutes later after Sadio Mane latched on to Mohamed Salah's pass.
On the evidence of Tuesday's first leg, it will take something monumental for Villarreal to turn the tie around and reach their first Champions League final, but Liverpool manager Klopp insisted there is still plenty of work ahead.
"In football it is always the same. You show the respect to the opponent in the way that you defend them," the German told BT Sport. "That is what we did and I liked it a lot. The counter-press was outstanding. The boys were really in the game from the first to the last second and that is why we won. It is only half time but it is better than before the game.
"Maybe for the second leg, [Villarreal striker] Gerard Moreno will be back, maybe one more. This is not all and is not a problem, we knew this before that we had two legs. If it is 0-0 tonight we go there anyway so it is all fine."
Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara echoed his manager's stance and believes the Reds will face a sterner challenge at Villarreal's El Madrigal stadium.
However, he said the team's focus needs to be on Saturday's Premier League visit to in-form Newcastle United as Liverpool continue their pursuit of an unprecedented quadruple. The Reds, who won the League Cup in February, are in the hunt for all four trophies this season having reached the FA Cup final while sitting just one point behind Manchester City in the Premier League table.
"We have to recognise that we are playing a semi-final of the Champions League against a tough team like Villarreal and have to have the space to be ourselves, that's the key," he said.
"I really enjoyed the team performance, that for me is the best thing, because we put our level as high as possible and we delivered today."
Liverpool v Villarreal player ratings
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LIVERPOOL RATINGS: Alisson Becker – 6. The Brazilian had one of the quietest nights of his career. Villarreal barely came into his penalty area. Getty -
Trent Alexander-Arnold – 6. The 23-year-old had the latitude to get forward at will because the opposition sat so deep. His crossing was not as effective as usual and he was substituted for Gomez with nine minutes left. Reuters -
Ibrahima Konate – 7. The Frenchman miscued a header early on but did not put a foot wrong after that. He was not placed under pressure. EPA -
Virgil van Dijk – 7. The Dutchman was not unduly tested and was in control for the majority of the game. A very comfortable performance. Getty Images -
Andrew Robertson – 7. The Scot could afford to forget about his defensive duties and push forward. He was always available as an outlet ball and sent in some probing passes. AP Photo -
Jordan Henderson – 8. The captain may not have the finesse of his midfield partners but his appetite for work was impressive. His deflected shot gave Liverpool the breakthrough before he made way for Keita in the 72rd minute. Getty Images -
Fabinho – 8. The Brazilian’s pressing unnerved the Villarreal midfield. His distribution was good and he was not afraid to tackle. Reuters -
Thiago Alcantara – 8. The 31-year-old was prominent as Liverpool dominated the middle. His quick passing kept the team on the move and his pressing was superb. AP Photo -
Mohamed Salah – 8. The Egyptian had to work to find space in the crowded defence but he managed to fire in a couple of threatening efforts. His astute pass set up the second goal. EPA -
Sadio Mane – 8. The Senegalese never gave Villarreal the chance to relax. He should have done better with a first-half header but he more than made up for that with the second goal. Jota came on for him with 17 minutes left. Getty Images -
Luis Diaz – 7. The Colombian engaged in a compelling battle with Foyth and came out on top. He produced a couple of shots that were too close to the goalkeeper. Origi replaced him with nine minutes left. Reuters -
SUBS: Naby Keita – 7. The Guinean replaced Henderson in the 72rd minute. He made sure the pressing remained effective until the final whistle. AP -
Diogo Jota – 6. The Portuguese joined the action at Mane’s expense in the 73rd minute. He kept the defence honest without threatening too much. Getty -
Divock Origi – 6. The Belgian came on for the last nine minutes when Diaz was substituted. He offered himself as a target man and held the ball up well. AP -
Joe Gomez – 6. The 24-year-old entered the fray for Alexander-Arnold with nine minutes to go. His short cameo was efficient and secure. Getty Images -
VILLARREAL RATINGS: Geronimo Rulli – 5. The Argentine displayed a tendency to punch the ball and was insecure in his handling. He did not inspire a sense of security in the defence. Action Images -
Juan Foyth – 6. The Argentine got tied up in a tussle with Diaz. He did well in the first half but looked weary as the game went on. Getty Images -
Raul Albiol – 7. The 36-year-old used all of his experience to keep Liverpool at bay. But for his presence, the scoreline could have been much uglier. AFP -
Pau Torres – 6. The Spaniard made a sharp early clearance and continued in that vein. He was not afraid of bringing the ball out when under pressure but he might have done better for the second goal. Reuters -
Pervis Estupinan – 4. The Ecuadorian was given a severe examination by Salah and the strain began to tell on him in the second half. He was replaced by Munoz in the 72nd minute after deflecting the first goal into the net. EPA -
Giovani Lo Celso – 6. The Argentine was let down by his control when a clear chance looked possible. He got back and helped out in his own area and made a good block from a Salah shot. AFP -
Etienne Capoue – 4. The Frenchman allowed the Liverpool midfield to dominate. He was bypassed by the play much too often. Getty Images -
Dani Parejo – 4. The Spaniard struggled against the Liverpool press. He found Lo Celso behind the defence from a long free kick but the Argentine could not control the ball. Aurier came on for him in the 72nd minute. EPA -
Francis Coquelin – 4. The Frenchman could not stamp his mark on the game. Ineffective throughout, he made way for Pedraza in the 57th minute. PA -
Samuel Chukwueze – 3. The Nigerian could not get on the ball and surrendered possession when the defence needed respite. The climax of a peripheral performance came when he was taken off in the 72nd minute for Dia. Getty Images -
Arnaut Danjuma – 3. The 25-year-old played a slack pass with his team threatening to open up the defence on one of the rare occasions he got support. He offered little and was substituted for Alcacer with four minutes left. AFP -
SUBS: Alfonso Pedraza – 5. The winger replaced Coquelin in the 57th minute. It was difficult for him to get involved because Liverpool were in control. AFP -
Serge Aurier – 5. The Ivorian entered the game for Parejo in the 72nd minute. He could do little to change the course of the game. AFP -
Manu Trigueros – 4. The 30-year-old came on for Estupinan in the 72nd minute. He barely saw the ball. AP Photo -
Boulaye Dia – 5. The 25-year-old replaced Chukwueze in the 72nd minute. He offered options up front but not a cutting edge. Reuters -
Paco Alcacer – 4. The 28-year-old was Villarreal’s final substitute, for Danjuma, with four minutes left. The striker hardly got a touch. AFP
"It will be hard there, I know this stadium before because of my time at Barcelona, but we don't have time to think about the game there. We have to think about our game at the weekend so that's all for us."
Villarreal have developed a habit of upsetting the giants of European football in the Champions League this season, eliminating Juventus and Bayern Munich in the past two rounds, and manager Unai Emery expects a more competitive showing from his team inside their own stadium on Tuesday.
"We can't tell nothing about the victory because they deserve it. The first half was defensively good but we didn't achieve in attack," he said.
"They had two or three chances to score. The second half was the same and they pushed and deserved to score; 2-0 is a good difference for them, for us not a good result but we will try to dream and do something different in our home.
"The match next week will be very different than tonight. It is very important in our home to change something, maybe tactically. They are going to suffer more than tonight."
