Jurgen Klopp
Jurgen Klopp has taken Liverpool to three Champions League finals in five years

For 45 minutes on Tuesday, the hopes of reaching the final looked to be in serious jeopardy.

The first half of the second leg of their semi-final against Villarreal was their worst half of the season, and it threatened to derail their quadruple hopes.

But, as is so often the case, the side found a way.

After a comfortable 2-0 win at home last week, the Spanish side were able to level the tie by the break.

At the hour mark, it was still 2-2 on aggregate, but Fabinho, half-time substitute Luis Diaz and Sadio Mane scored to send the Reds to Paris, where they will play either Real Madrid or Manchester City.

The change in Villarreal means:

  • Liverpool are the first English club to reach the final of the European Cup/Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup in the same season.
  • The Reds will play in every game available to them this season - winning the Carabao Cup and reaching the FA Cup final (where they will play Chelsea) and the Champions League final.
  • They can still become the first English team to win a quadruple of Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup.

'Our minds were not right' - Klopp's decisive half-time intervention

The assistant manager couldn't find a clip of what the players did well in the first half so he asked Peter Krawietz to show it to them at half-time.

They trailed 2-0 to goals from Boulaye Dia and Francis Coquelin and had not had a chance to take their shot.

The problem at half-time was that we knew what was wrong, but we didn't have a situation to show where we did it right.

I told Krawietz to find one where we do well and we can show it. He came in and told them not to have it.

It was a big half-time and it was about how the boys reacted. We are still here and we were calm.

We did not play football. I told the boys that we can get it back. We were in the game when we broke the lines and were more flexible and not fixed on positions. We made it happen by scoring goals.

What I said was about where we had to play, where we had to move, where we had to be brave, and changing momentum. It was a football problem and you could solve it with football.

After three minutes of the first half, our minds were not right. We felt the pressure as we were in a rush. You have to force your own football through and we did that in the second half.

The Reds only had three touches in the box and completed less than a third of their passes in the last third of the first half, just a week after a performance so dominant it was described aspathetic.

The Reds defender said that the half-time team talk was how they have all season.

With the speed we have, we needed to mix it up. We had to show how much we wanted to go to the final. We dominated in the second half.

Trent Alexander-Arnold said that they regrouped at half-time and got the game by the scruff of the neck. We did what we were told to do.

We didn't pick up any second balls in the first half. We allowed them to play the game they wanted to play. In the second half we were in control.

Is 'mesmeric' Diaz the signing of the season?

Luis Diaz
Luis Diaz's half-time introduction was key

At half-time, there was a major turning point. The goal that wrapped up the tie was scored by the replacement for Diogo Jota.

He had more shots in 45 minutes than anyone else. His passing accuracy was better than any Reds player.

Chris said thatDiaz made a big difference.

He has been a revelation. We talk about players needing time to sleep, but he has settled in quickly.

The January signing has scored five goals.

Rio Ferdinand said thatDiaz was the difference maker. He was very handsome. He is a wonderful player and one of the signings of the season for me.

Michael Owen said he had never seen a guy come in and hit the ground running. It is amazing to pick up the way the team plays. There is no question that he is a starter.

Can Liverpool win all four? Salah thinks so

Liverpool
Liverpool could end this season with four trophies - or just the Carabao Cup

With four games left in the season, Manchester City leads the league by a point and need their rivals to slip up.

Celtic won the European Cup, league title, cup and league cup in 1966-67, but most countries don't have two domestic cups.

They have won three trophies in the last two years, the most recent being the Carabao Cup this season.

They only won three trophies in 13 years.

The Egyptian, who is the top scorer for the Reds this season with 30 goals, said that they fight for everything. We won one trophy and are in another final.

The quadruple is the target now. Maybe not at the beginning of the season. I am always honest and focused on the premier league. Why not now? I thought it was on after we beat City.

I thought after the group stage that we were going to win the trophy.

I want to play Madrid in the final. City is a tough team.

It is difficult to reach three finals, that is probably why nobody has done it before. When the finals show up in the schedule we will make sure we are ready for it, but we play incredibly strong teams in these finals, so we will give it a try, but it is difficult.