Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson praised his side’s determination but was far from certain they had done enough to reach the Champions League final.
While Henderson was pleased they had pursued a breakthrough after drawing a blank in the first half, he did not think the tie was safe yet.
Speaking to BT Sport, the midfielder said: “They are a very organised team and we knew they would make it difficult. It was just important that we kept going and believe that we would eventually break them down. We did that with two good goals.
“First one was a bit lucky. Good build-up but a bit lucky, in off the defender and keeper I think. But you need a bit of luck when a team plays with a low block. We got that and it lifted the crowd. Majority of the game, the counter-press was really good. It made it difficult for them. But the game is still alive and it will be tough in Villarreal.”
Defender Andrew Robertson thought that the side needed at least one more goal to be safer, saying: “We had a few chances in the first half, trying to break them down. We had a bit of momentum after the first goal and the noise in here was incredible.
“It took us to the second one. We would have liked one more but a clean sheet and two goals, we can’t argue with that.
“It is the semi-final of the Champions League. If you can’t run around for 90 minutes in this kind of game, when will you. Our intensity has been high the last couple of games. We have had a hectic schedule but we are enjoying it. There is still work to do but we are happy.”