Villarreal defender Raul Albiol has admitted they are ready to suffer against Liverpool in their Champions League semi-final this evening.
The Spanish side travel to Anfield for the first leg of their semi-final clash with Jurgen Klopp’s side tonight, with the second leg scheduled for next week.
They find themselves as the undisputed underdogs of the last four, which also includes Real Madrid and Manchester City.
That’s a tag Unai Emery’s side are more than comfortable with, though, having been the same in the previous two rounds, in which they have knocked out Bayern Munich and Juventus.
Liverpool are considered a greater challenge than either of those sides, with the Reds arguably one of the best two sides in Europe alongside City at this moment in time.
That being said, Villarreal know how to battle, and Albiol admits they are ready to suffer once more to secure a similar result against Liverpool.
“Juventus, Bayern and Liverpool, which is going to be more difficult,” he told Marca.
“We go with the same responsibility, to try to play two great games and with the confidence that we can reach the final.
“We start with 90 minutes away from home, and we know how difficult it is to play at Anfield. The team is prepared because we have already played at two difficult grounds. We know that there are better players in front of us, but we also have our weapons.
“We have our game plan, and we will try to do it well. At the end of the day, it’s all down to teamwork.
“We are a group that knows that we all suffer together and we all help each other and in this kind of match even more. We know that they are players of a higher level, stronger, faster and more all-round. But we have our weapons to win.
“The team is ready for anything. We have to make the most of our strengths and let their weaknesses show.”
