Liverpool came back from a 3-1 deficit to beat Borussia Dortmund 4-3 in the return of their Europa League quarter-final encounter.
Dejan Lovren will forever be remembered for scoring the Reds fourth and decisive goal, but it’s also important to note that the perfect cross ball came from James Milner. The 30-year-old has now provided nine assists in 2016, which ranks the England international among the best players in that regard.
Only three players have provided more assists this year. Atletico Madrid’s Koke and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi sit at ten assists in all competitions in 2016, while Messi’s team-mate at Barcelona, Neymar, is leading the pack with 11 assists this year.
4 – Most assists (all comps) by big five league players in 2016:
Luis Suarez 11
Lionel Messi 10
Koke 10
James Milner 9— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) 15 april 2016
Milner joined Liverpool this summer on a free transfer from Manchester City and has quickly established himself as one of the Reds’ most consistent performers during a difficult season.
While the team has failed to produce results in the Premier League, coach Jurgen Klopp has been able to guide the club to the Europa League’s semi-finals, where they will face Villarreal on April 28 and May 5.
10 – Villarreal are winless in their last 10 games against English opposition (D6 L4). Underwater.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) 15 april 2016
