The key facts

  • Liverpool beat Villarreal 4:3, coming back from two goals conceded in the first 30 minutes
  • A brace from Alexis Mac Allister, Florian Wirtz's first goal of the season, two assists from 18-year-old Rio Ngumoha
  • Liverpool — 9 points from 3 matches, level with PSG; Villarreal — 3 points

Comeback after a poor start

Liverpool on Tuesday came back from two goals down and beat Villarreal 4:3, maintaining their perfect start in the Champions League. Villarreal deservedly led 2:0 by the 30th minute: in the 4th minute, after Virgil van Dijk's error on a back pass to Alisson Becker, Georges Mikautadze opened the scoring, and then Nathan Saliba played the ball out to left-flank defender Sergi Cardona, who sent it past Alisson. The visitors' coach Iñigo Pérez, familiar with Iraola's system from their time working together, looked ready to outwit his former boss.

The turnaround after the break

Twice the visitors were undone by crosses into the box: from a Kostas Tsimikas corner, Mac Allister headed one back, and after a cross from 18-year-old Rio Ngumoha, Cardona missed the ball at the far post, and the onrushing Ronald Araújo equalized. Araújo went off at halftime, making way for Florian Wirtz. In the second half, a Ngumoha run down the right flank ended with a cutback that Mac Allister finished in off the crossbar — 3:2. 'He was amazing today. He made the difference,' Mac Allister said of Ngumoha. Three minutes later, Cody Gakpo assisted Wirtz, who scored his first goal of the season.

A nervy finish and Iraola's words

Villarreal reduced the deficit: Tani Oluwaseyi beautifully finished a cross from Ayoze Pérez, but Liverpool held on for the win. 'In the first 30–35 minutes of the first half they were much better than us. In the second half, especially in the first 30–35 minutes, we were much better,' AFP quoted Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola as saying. According to him, the team responded well under pressure, but lapses at the start of the match and after the score stood at 4:2 cost them conceded goals: 'You cannot relax.'

Rotation and the standings

Iraola left all three of his forwards worth over £100 million ($133 million) — Alexander Isak, Bradley Barcola and Wirtz — on the bench with an eye on the Premier League match against Brighton on Sunday. The win took Liverpool to nine points out of a possible nine — top of the table level with Paris Saint-Germain. Villarreal remained on three points after three rounds. It is noted that Iñigo Pérez's coaching career began by chance: after failing to obtain a work permit to be Iraola's assistant at Bournemouth, he took over Rayo Vallecano, with whom he reached the Conference League final last season.