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Brazilian legend Rivaldo has insisted that Liverpool 'can end up surprised' if they take Villarreal lightly in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.
The Reds and Benfica played out an entertaining 3-3 draw at Anfield on Wednesday. Despite the Portuguese giants' efforts, the Merseyside-based club won their Champions League quarter-final tie 6-4 on aggregate.
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Liverpool have thus qualified into the semi-finals of the competition for the third time in five seasons. Klopp's side will now take on La Liga outfit Villarreal in the final four of the Champions League.
Many believe the Reds have got the most favorable draw among the remaining four sides, with Manchester City set to take on Real Madrid in the other semi-final. Hence, there is an expectation that the Anfield outfit should progress into the final with ease.
However, Rivaldo has warned Liverpool not to take things easy against Unai Emery's side. The former La Liga forward is of the view that Villarreal have proven that they can take on any team in the world. He wrote in his Betfair column:
"At the moment, it is clear that Liverpool are favorites to eliminate Villarreal not only because of the quality of their team, but also because of their history and tradition in the Champions League. In any case, the Spanish team have already shown that it can face any team and Jurgen Klopp's team cannot make it easy or can end up surprised."
Liverpool will host Villarreal at Anfield in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final tie on April 27th. The two sides will then lock horns in Spain in the return leg on May 3rd.
Liverpool have big games coming up this month
The Reds will face Villarreal in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final tie in the final week of April. However, they have three other big games coming up before their clash with the La Liga club.
Jurgen Klopp's side are set to face title rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley this weekend. The two sides played out an entertaining 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium last week and will face each other again on Saturday.
The Anfield outfit will then host arch-rivals Manchester United at Anfield in the Premier League on Tuesday. The Merseyside-based club also have a derby encounter with Everton coming up on April 24th.
