Philippe Coutinho was Liverpool’s FA Cup saviour again on Wednesday, clinching a 1-0 victory over second-tier Blackburn to set up a semifinal with Aston Villa.
After a goalless draw at Anfield last month, Coutinho broke the deadlock in the 70th minute of the quarterfinal replay at Ewood Park. The Brazil playmaker drilled an angled low shot through a crowded six-yard box and inside the far post after a swift interchange with Jordan Henderson.
The goal was less dramatic than his 90th-minute winner in the fourth-round replay at Bolton, but it ensured Brendan Rodgers will take Liverpool to Wembley Stadium on April 19 for the first time in his three-year reign.
Winning the #FACup would be some consolation for a disappointing season that saw #Liverpool eliminated in the Champions League in the group stage and now struggling to make the Premier League’s top four to return to Europe’s elite competition next season.