Liverpool Stun Villarreal With Remarkable Comeback After Shocking Early Collapse

Liverpool battled back from a dismal opening to Tuesday's Champions League clash with Villarreal, securing a 4–3 win over the Yellow Submarine in Matchday 3 of the league phase.

The very worst of Andoni Iraola's Reds was on full display in the first 35 minutes, as a Villarreal side well-acquainted with Iraola's philosophy exploited a team failing to execute their manager's instructions.

A Virgil van Dijk blunder was brilliantly punished by Georges Mikautadze after just four minutes, and Iñigo Pérez's visitors edged closer to a stunning result on Merseyside when unlikely scorer Sergi Cardona doubled their lead just before the half-hour mark.

Liverpool's comeback was sparked before the situation deteriorated further, with Alexis Mac Allister's header from a Kostas Tsimikas delivery pulling them back into contention. Cardona then undid his own contribution by allowing Ronald Araújo to level at the back post, giving the hosts all the momentum heading into the second half.

Iraola's side suddenly played with renewed composure once the scores were level. That confidence translated into a final-third surge, as Mac Allister netted his second and Florian Wirtz put the game seemingly beyond doubt. It looked like a comfortable finish, but Tani Oluwaseyi's late strike set up a tense closing spell out of nowhere.

No equalizer came, however.

One Thing We Can't Ignore

Iraola came up against a very familiar figure in Iñigo Pérez, who served as his assistant at Rayo Vallecano and had been set to follow him to Bournemouth before a work permit issue blocked the move.

The Liverpool manager acknowledged that Pérez "knows everything" about him, and it certainly appeared as though the former pupil had all the answers at Anfield.

Iraola's identity is built on his team's work without the ball, and his Liverpool side remains a work in progress. That was apparent before Brentford were reduced to 10 men at the weekend, and even more glaring during the opening 35 minutes on Tuesday. Pérez's Villarreal rotated fluidly to disrupt Liverpool's man-to-man press, and the visitors' technical quality allowed them to exploit the Reds' disorganization off the ball.

Villarreal's second goal encapsulated just how poor Liverpool were in the early stages, with numerous players slow to their defensive duties as the Yellow Submarine transitioned from back to front. Left back Sergi Cardona burst into space behind the defense to slot past Alisson.

At that point, the Anfield crowd feared the worst. Fortunately, Iraola's embrace of chaos helped drag them back into the match, and the control they demonstrated after the restart — with the game suddenly level — highlighted their unpredictability. Two entirely different Liverpool teams showed up on Tuesday.

Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Villarreal (4-2-3-1)

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Alisson—5.7: Will be disappointed with the three goals conceded. Problems were created in front of him.

RB: Ronald Araújo—7.4: The Uruguayan scored in back-to-back Champions League appearances, sneaking in at the back post to head home from Tsimikas's inviting delivery left behind by goalscorer Cardona. Substituted at halftime.

CB: Jérémy Jacquet—6.5: An imperfect performance from the talented Frenchman. Jacquet was unsettled by Villarreal's directness in the early stages.

CB: Virgil van Dijk—5.5: No one was more relieved by Liverpool's comeback than their skipper, whose mistake directly gifted Villarreal their opening goal. There was plenty to criticize about the Reds' display in the first 35 minutes, and Van Dijk embodied their sloppiness.

LB: Kostas Tsimikas—8.4: Few would dispute that the Greek international has the quality required. Nevertheless, his set-piece delivery proved crucial in getting Liverpool back into the match.

CM: Trey Nyoni—7.9: There's room for Nyoni to develop off the ball, but he's a genuine pleasure to watch in possession. He plays like a younger Gravenberch, with a similar ability to hold off and glide past pressure.

CM: Alexis Mac Allister—9.3: The Argentine's finest work this season has come in this competition. Mac Allister's header lifted his teammates, and he timed his run into the box brilliantly to give Liverpool the lead after the hour mark.

RW: Rio Ngumoha—8.9: This was a statement performance from the teenager, who had endured a relatively subdued start to the campaign. Rio possesses the attributes of an experienced winger, and they shone magnificently on a rain-soaked Anfield pitch. Villarreal had no answer to the youngster's exuberance.

AM: Ryan Gravenberch—7.0: Found himself overshadowed by Nyoni. Gravenberch appears uncomfortable when playing ahead of the ball, and he was caught out of position at the back post late on after shifting to right back.

LW: Cody Gakpo—8.5: Gakpo's early-season sharpness remains undiminished despite his injury layoff. No goal for the Dutchman here, but he looked lively throughout.

ST: Lewis Koumas—6.4: Koumas was swallowed up by Liverpool's early chaos, struggling to link up with Gakpo. He produced a few neat flicks but little else of note.

SUB: Florian Wirtz (46' for Araújo)—8.6: Entered at an ideal moment and scored his first goal for the club since April.

SUB: Alexander Isak (67' for Koumas)—6.1: A subdued cameo from the Swede.

SUB: Bradley Barcola (74' for Ngumoha)—6.4: Limited impact from Barcola as well.

SUB: Joe Gomez (74' for Jacquet)—6.7: Made a couple of important interventions in his own box.

SUB: James McConnell (81' for Nyoni)—N/A

Subs not used: Giorgi Mamardashvili (GK), Freddie Woodman (GK), Joe Gomez, Wellity Lucky, Milos Kerkez, Jayden Danns, Luke Chambers, Michael Laffey.

What the Ratings Tell Us

The Numbers That Explain Liverpool's Fightback