Europa League Head-to-Head: Roberto Soldado (Villarreal) vs Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool)

Liverpool travel to El Madrigal on Thursday night for the first leg of their Europa League semi-final clash with Villarreal.

The Reds reached the last four with a memorable comeback win against Borussia Dortmund at Anfield, eventually progressing 5-4 on aggregate to earn this tie against the La Liga outfit.

While that success relied on goals from central defensive pairing Mamadou Sakho and Dejan Lovren, front man Daniel Sturridge has since hit form, scoring three in three.

Villarreal, meanwhile, were 6-3 aggregate winners against Sparta Prague, as Cedric Bakambu hit four across the two games.

The DR Congo international is paired up front with Roberto Soldado, who will hope to enjoy a prolific reunion with English opposition, despite failing to make his mark in a two-year spell at Tottenham Hotspur.

The Spaniard’s record this season is relatively unspectacular, but he’ll be determined to prove his worth against Sturridge and Liverpool.