LONDON: Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet is optimistic that the Anfield crowd can inspire another Europa League fightback when they host Spanish side Villarreal in the second leg of their semi-final on Thursday.

The Merseyside club have enjoyed several famous European nights in Liverpool, including comeback wins over St Etienne in 1977 and Olympiakos in 2005, and more recently their gripping rally to stun Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals.

The Reds looked down and out in against Dortmund when they trailed 4-2 on aggregate but staged a dramatic late comeback with three goals in the final half hour to progress.

Juergen Klopp’s men head into the game needing to overcome a 1-0 deficit, having lost last week’s first leg to an injury-time strike from Adrian Lopez at El Madrigal, and Mignolet is hoping that vociferous home support can spur the team to victory again.

“We know when the fans are behind us, it’s so much easier. At home, there’s always something possible, a European night at Anfield,” Mignolet told the club website.

“We’re obviously confident that it’s still possible but we have to stay calm and as players, focus on our jobs, to play at our best to try and get through.

“That’s what everyone wants in the dressing room — everybody in Liverpool — to go to the final.”

Villarreal could make it an all-Spanish final in Basel on May 18 if they can get a result in Liverpool with compatriots and holders Sevilla well-placed as they welcome Shakhtar Donetsk in the other semi-final.

“On Thursday we have the chance we have been waiting for all our lives, “captain Bruno, whose club have never reached a major final, told the club’s website.

“It is a step the club still hasn’t been able to take and we will face up to that challenge in the best way possible. We will be at 100 percent to achieve this objective.”

Europa League winners for the past two seasons running, Sevilla are in the driving seat following a 2-2 first-leg draw away to Ukrainians Shakhtar.

Sevilla are keen to reach what would be their fifth Europa League final in 11 seasons, having won the competition in 2006, 2007, 2014 and 2015.

Winger Vitolo says the holders are trying to avoid over-confidence after the draw in Ukraine.

“If we think that this is going to be easy then we might have a shock coming to us,” he said. “Shakhtar are not a bad team at all, and they will cause us a lot of problems, I’m sure of that. We will have to play with calm heads and a lot of patience.”

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2016