Andoni Iraola and Iñigo Pérez parked a long and close friendship in the buildup to their first competitive confrontation as coaches. The old Athletic Bilbao teammates will have a humdinger of a Champions League contest to dissect once communications are restored. Liverpool, ignited by Rio Ngumoha, recovered from two goals down against Villarreal to maintain their 100% record plus their gathering momentum.
Alexis Mac Allister struck twice, Florian Wirtz capped recent improvement with his first goal of the season while Liverpool were dreadful for the opening 30 minutes, transformed after the break and fretting in stoppage time after Tani Oluwaseyi had volleyed in a third for Villarreal. The game flipped on Sergi Cardona’s mistake and Ronald Araújo’s equaliser with the final touch of the first half. But the lasting impression was of Ngumoha seizing responsibility in the absence of big names and driving Liverpool on at the age of 18.
The winger was electric, the difference maker, and from the right-wing role that he is still adapting to. He supplied the cross for Araújo’s all-important leveller and unravelled the Villarreal defence for Mac Allister’s second, Liverpool’s third on a rollercoaster of a night and performance. If you can put him in one-v-ones he can make space and produce things, like the lovely assist for Alexis, and endurance-wise he is able to play more and more minutes.
He is eager to improve and if he can add things to his game he’ll become the full package.” The regular phone calls between Iraola and Pérez had ceased in the days leading up to the fixture. Had they continued the Liverpool head coach might have told his opposite number to bring a coat and not wear a short-sleeved polo shirt on a day of incessant rain. Iraola rested Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Bradley Barcola.
A fourth game in 10 days explained the omissions of Wirtz and Barcola, who had featured heavily in the previous three, while Isak’s workload was being carefully managed after his recent thigh injury. Liverpool’s much-changed team fell behind quickly. An error-strewn start by Virgil van Dijk was responsible, and also in keeping with a ponderous opening half hour from the hosts.
Villarreal passed their way around Anfield with style and precious little resistance. The Liverpool captain presented Georges Mikautadze with an immediate opportunity when he misjudged a long clearance by Renato Veiga. Van Dijk’s poor touch almost released the Georgia international striker through on goal but Jérémy Jacquet closed off that route.
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