Villarreal pulled off one of the biggest Champions League shocks in recent times last night, eliminating Bayern Munich at the quarter-final stage.
The German club entered the tie as heavy favourites to advance, being considered as perhaps the only team outside of Liverpool and Manchester City that had realistic ambitions to win this season's competition. However, Villarreal would manage to capitalise on the 1-0 advantage they carried into the second leg, with Samuel Chukwueze's late goal ensuring that they would advance to the last four.
Chukwueze at the death!!!! ⚽️
The goal to break Bayern hearts 💔#UCL pic.twitter.com/whaIamHFzr— Watch the UCL on LiveScore 🇮🇪 (@LiveScoreIE) April 12, 2022
Few would have predicted this outcome when the pairing was initially made, Bayern manager Julian Nagelsmann included. Speaking before the first leg, he admitted that he felt his team had been handed a favourable draw.
This is something that motivated the Villarreal players. After last night's game, club captain Dani Parejo admitted called out the German for his comments.
When the draw was made and they got Villarreal, their coach, whom I don’t know, disrespected not only Villarreal but also football by saying he wanted to settle the tie in the first leg.
It was a lack of respect towards us.
Sometimes when you spit up, it falls on your face.
Strong words.
Nagelsmann also said earlier this week that Villarreal could live to regret not finishing off his side in the first leg, something that provided even more dressing room wall material according to striker Gerard Moreno:
In the first leg we made the mistake of not finishing them off. All the comments about that served as motivation.
What this team has done is great.
Villarreal will now face either Liverpool or Benfica in the semi-finals, with Jurgen Klopp's side favourites to progress from that tie.
Regardless of who they face, Unai Emery's will no doubt back themselves to pull of an upset yet again.
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