Despite a near-flawless defensive plan that frustrated Liverpool's formidable attacking force for a big chunk of the game, Villarreal's hopes of reaching their first Champions League final still appear slim.

Jurgen Klopp's quadruple-chasing Reds scored two goals in 133 seconds at Anfield to take a giant step toward their third final in five seasons with a 2-0 win in the first leg of their semifinal on Wednesday night.

Liverpool have never lost at Anfield in the semifinals of the European Cup, winning 10 and drawing two of their 12 matches and conceding only four goals. Their dominance was so overwhelming that Villarreal's players hardly got out of their half throughout the match. 

There were plenty of half-chances for the English giants, but their Spanish rivals proved to be difficult to crack. Right after the hour mark, however, Jordan Henderson's deflected shot and Sadio Mane's close-range finish finally settled Liverpool's nerves.

According to stats provider Opta, Liverpool's opener was their 250th goal in the Champions League era and they have now scored 450 in European Cup history. Klopp's side have scored two or more in 10 of their 11 Champions League games this season.

"This is the best Liverpool team I have ever seen. They're relentless. It's the way that they press teams, the energy, the effort, the application. You sit here and just marvel at it," beamed Manchester United icon Rio Ferdinand on BT Sport.

It's also worth noting that 14 of Mane's last 20 goals in this competition have come in the knockouts. And the Senegalese star has moved level alongside Chelsea legend Didier Drogba as the leading African goalscorer in the knockout phase of the showpiece event.

Though Villarreal concentrated all their efforts on defense and failed to muster a shot on target, Klopp warned that the Yellow Submarine could be far more dangerous at home in the second leg next Tuesday.

"It's 2-0, half-time, no more, no less," observed the Liverpool boss during the post-match press conference. "It is a dangerous scoreline. How much work is left to do? The full work... We know we go there and it will be a tricky atmosphere for us. It will be different to tonight. These players, this coach, they will fight for it with all they have. And what I like is that we also fight with it with all we have.

"If they beat us with a result that takes them to the final, then they deserve it. If not, then we deserve it. That's how the competition is. We played a really good game and now in five [six] days we play again and we have to make sure we are ready."  

The sentiment was echoed by Klopp's counterpart Unai Emery. "We have got to accept what happened tonight and be optimistic that next week we can create danger for them," said the Villarreal head coach. "I can't wait to get that game underway. I want to prepare for it and for you to see that we can take the game to them."

It will surely require something special for Villarreal to stage a comeback in Spain. But given the fact that they defied the odds to eliminate Serie A powerhouses Juventus and German champions Bayern Munich in previous rounds, Emery's resilient side cannot be discounted.