Mignolet Joins Klopp In Anfield Optimism

When the ball struck the net in the 93rd minute of last night's Europa League semifinal against Villarreal, there wasn't a great deal to be optimistic about. Liverpool failed to bag a vital away goal, and their solid defensive efforts were undone in the last minute by a deadly counterattack.

Regardless, immediately following the match Jürgen Klopp assured the masses that the Reds will be ready to overturn the deficit at Anfield, and goalkeeper Simon Mignolet echoed these sentiments.

"Everybody saw the quality of Villarreal but we created our chances and we had some chances to score. Unluckily, that didn't happen," the Belgian goalkeeper explained. "But it's still there to play for at home at Anfield. With the supporters behind us at Anfield there's always some magic in the air. It's still there to play for at home with the fans behind us. We have scored a lot of goals since Christmas so why not again?"

Mignolet, for his part, put in one of the better performances on the pitch last night, and made several key saves to keep the tie close. Although his distribution and command of the area still leaves a whole lot to be desired, last night was an excellent reminder of how good he can be at his best.

In the end, there wasn't much Mignolet could do about the 3-on-2 counterattack other than raise his hand and pray to Fowler that the goal was called offside. Hopefully with the Anfield faithful at full voice, Mignolet will get a little more help defensively (and offensively) to help overturn the first-leg deficit.