"The best in Europe": €5m Villarreal star pays Liverpool high praise but sends Anfield warning

Francis Coquelin, valued at €5m, believes Liverpool are stronger than the team Villarreal knocked out of the Champions League, Bayern Munich.

However, the midfielder has warned that Unai Emery and his players aren't travelling to Anfield to simply "look around".

He told the Daily Mail: “Liverpool are stronger than Bayern (the team Villarreal knocked out in the quarter-finals). They are probably the team that press the best in Europe.

“It is difficult to know where their weaknesses are. They have two players who fight for Ballon d'Or every year in (Mohamed) Salah and (Sadio) Mane.

“They are strong all over the pitch with full-backs who can play like strikers. And now they have signed Luis Diaz too and he settles in the team like he has been there for five years.

“But we are not going there just to look around Anfield.”

Liverpool and Villarreal go head to head tonight in a huge Champions League clash with both sides hoping to secure an advantage ahead of the second leg in Spain.

Liverpool have an incredible opportunity to take their European campaign by the scruff of the neck tonight and take one step towards reaching the final of the tournament.

There's a palpable sense of excitement about what this season means for the club and Liverpool have such an incredibly rich European heritage that it's going to be special to watch them in action tonight.

Villarreal are by no means pushovers but Liverpool are more than capable of beating them and keeping a clean sheet if everyone is switched on and takes their opportunities.