Emotional Liverpool star Luis Diaz breaks down in tears as he reaches first Champions League final after Villarreal win
LIVERPOOL star Luis Diaz broke down in tears after reaching his first ever Champions League final.
The Portuguese attacker inspired Jurgen Klopp’s side to victory at Villarreal, securing a 5-2 aggregate success.
Diaz came off the bench at half-time replacing Diogo Jota with the Reds 2-0 down in Spain and tied 2-2 overall.
But his introduction was just what the English side needed to complete a remarkable turnaround against Unai Emery‘s men.
Diaz scored the second goal in a 3-2 win on the night, with former Liverpool star Peter Crouch describing him as a “game-changer”.
As the visitors celebrated their triumph and applauded the away support, Diaz’s emotions came through and he held his hands over his eyes.
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Diaz later picked up the Player of the Match award from Uefa.
Team-mate Andy Robertson paid tribute to Diaz, saying: “He has been special.
“We have tried to help him as much as we can – all of the players. We know how difficult it is coming into the club in January.
“We’ve tried with the coaches and everyone else to get him up to speed.
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“He is a special, special player. With the talent he has and the will to win, he just fits us perfectly.
“It was tough to take Jots off and I think he has been excellent this season, but Luis came on and made a big difference.
“He played on the left, he started pushing them back, started taking the ball, dribbling and everything, it was a really good half from him.
“He has been special since the day he came in, it’s a pleasure to play with him and hopefully he’ll only get better as well with a full pre-season and things like that.
“I believe he will get better, which is scary, but what he is producing here and now is pretty special as well.”
Diaz, 25, has been a revelation at Anfield after signing for £37m from Porto in January.
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The winger was heavily linked with Tottenham before the Premier League title contenders swooped on in.
He has scored five goals since his move, alternating in a front three with Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino.
Klopp saw his Quad-chasing stars stage an epic second-half comeback to reach the Champions League final.
Liverpool’s 2-0 first-leg lead vanished before half-time with goals by Villarreal pair Boulaye Dia and Francis Coquelin.
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But Brazilian Fabinho’s strike on 62 minutes inspired a fightback with further efforts from supersub Diaz and Sadio Mane after THREE errors by keeper Geronimo Rulli.
It booked Liverpool’s tenth European Cup final appearance, against Manchester City or Real Madrid in Paris on May 28.