Liverpool came from two goals down inside 30 minutes to beat Villarreal 4-3 at Anfield in the Champions League. Alexis Mac Allister scored twice, Ronald Araújo equalised in first-half stoppage time and Florian Wirtz struck the go-ahead goal, giving Liverpool a third straight league-phase win.
Liverpool, England: A mistake from Virgil van Dijk and Villarreal’s sharpness gave Anfield an uneasy start. Liverpool were behind inside four minutes and two down before half an hour. What followed was a recovery built on set pieces, wing play and a decisive finish from Wirtz that kept their perfect Champions League record intact.
Villarreal punish an early error
Georges Mikautadze seized on a loose header from Van Dijk and scored in the fourth minute. Villarreal were not finished. Sergi Cardona ran onto a through ball and beat Alisson to make it 2-0 just before the half-hour. Liverpool had barely settled, and the visitors were comfortably ahead.
Mac Allister and Araújo pull it level
Liverpool’s response began with a corner. Kostas Tsimikas delivered from the right, and Alexis Mac Allister headed in to pull one back before the interval. Then, in first-half stoppage time, Rio Ngumoha’s delivery found Ronald Araújo at the far post, and the defender headed in to make it 2-2. Ngumoha, who also set up Mac Allister’s second, was involved in two of Liverpool’s four goals.
Wirtz takes the lead
Mac Allister put Liverpool ahead in the 65th minute, finishing after Ngumoha cut the ball back for him. Wirtz added the fourth within minutes, firing a low finish into the bottom corner. It turned a recovery into a lead of two goals.
The lead was nearly thrown away. Tani Oluwaseyi pulled one back for Villarreal in the 87th minute, and Liverpool held on through an anxious finish.
Perfect run continues
The win was Liverpool’s third in three Champions League matches. They also conceded three in each of their last two games in the competition, having won 6-3 at LASK in the previous round with Andoni Iraola’s side scoring ten goals across the two matches.
Result: Liverpool 4 (Mac Allister 2, Araújo, Wirtz), Villarreal 3 (Mikautadze, Cardona, Oluwaseyi). Half-time: 2-2. Venue: Anfield, Liverpool. Competition: UEFA Champions League, league phase, Matchday 3.
