Villareal hero Chukwueze and colleagues party wildly in the Allianz Arena
Unai Emery's men advanced into the semi-finals thanks to an 88th-minute strike by Super Eagles forward Samuel Chukwueze
There were jubilant scenes in the Villarreal dressing room on Tuesday night after they sent shockwaves across Europe by dumping Bayern Munich out of the Champions League.
Unai Emery's men advanced into the semi-finals thanks to an 88th-minute strike by Super Eagles forward Samuel Chukwueze, which cancelled out Robert Lewandowski's goal for the Germans and gave Villarreal a 2-1 aggregate victory.
The club's social media page shared stunning scenes in the dressing room of the Allianz Arena after the final whistle, with players jumping on treatment tables and climbing up on to ledges and banging on the benches while singing.
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— Villarreal CF (@VillarrealCF) April 12, 2022
¡Orgullosos de ser de La Aldea ????!#UCL pic.twitter.com/Rp69BJY2mv
'We feel a lot of happiness. Ever since the draw paired us with Bayern, we have been telling ourselves that we could do it,' Villarreal forward Gerard Moreno said.
'In the first leg we made the mistake of not finishing the tie, and all the comments serve as motivation for us. They made the mistake today of not killing us off and we took advantage of that.'
Former Arsenal manager Emery, meanwhile, struck a pensive tone in his post-match remarks as he reflected on Villarreal reaching the last four for the first time since 2006.
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— Villarreal CF (@VillarrealCF) April 12, 2022
'Let's enjoy the semi finals. Knowing we are here, not because of how nice we are, or to let others say we are a nice and small town, but because we've worked for it,' he was quoted as saying by Marca.
'When we have conceded, it has been a critical moment, because when Bayern score, they score two or three.
'Humility is to know how to recognise the good and bad moments. In the good ones, be stable, and in the bad ones recognise you have not done something right.'
Villarreal will play the winner of the quarter-final between Liverpool and Benfica. Jurgen Klopp's side hold a 3-1 lead from the first leg and are strong favourites to progress with the second leg at Anfield.
The Spanish side returns to domestic action on Saturday away to Getafe. They are seventh in the LaLiga standings.
