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The excitement has barely subsided after a match which is sure to go down as one of the greatest Famous Anfield European Nights™ ever. Our reward for that epic comeback? Another home and away series of games against another difficult opponent on April 28th and May 5th. That opponent?
Europa League
The first team listed in the draw will be the home side in the first leg, which means Liverpool will have the home field advantage once again in the second leg (which will hopefully not have to be quite so magical as last night). Also, for practical purposes, the winner of Villarreal/Liverpool will be the "home" side for the final, played in Basel, Switzerland on May 18th.
Unlike the last several Europa League opponents, Villarreal is an opponent that won't be quite so well known by Liverpool supporters, players, and couching staff. The side sits in fourth place in La Liga, 12 points behind Real Madrid and 10 points above Celta Vigo. This is their third time reaching the semifinal of the Europa League, having also accomplished the feat in 2003-04 and 2010-11. El Submarino Amarillo (yes, their nickname is The Yellow Submarine) have yet to progress further than this stage in a major European competition, a streak which will hopefully continue.
That Other European Competition
The two legs of the Champions League semifinals will be played on April 26-27 and May 3-4. The draw is as follows:
The winner of the Manchester City/Real Madrid tie will be considered the home side for the final, which will be played in Milan's San Siro Stadium on May 28th.