Liverpool vs Villarreal is the kind of Champions League night Anfield was built for. Kick-off is 8pm BST at Anfield, with Liverpool on six points from six in Europe and Villarreal on three. Here is everything you need before the whistle.
Form Guide: Liverpool Flying, Villarreal Reviving
Villarreal’s seven-match Champions League losing streak finally ended last time out, when they beat Napoli 3-1 despite conceding first. Liverpool have won four of their last five, and the only blemish was a 3-0 home defeat to Manchester City. The response was emphatic: a 6-3 win at LASK, with Bradley Barcola scoring a hat-trick, in their highest-scoring European away win in 25 years.
Liverpool Team News
The injury list is long. Dominik Szoboszlai, Jeremie Frimpong, Hugo Ekitike, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni are all out. Szoboszlai was forced off in the first half of the 2-1 win over Brentford.
There is good news too. Ryan Gravenberch is available after his domestic ban, and Alexander Isak returned to score the winner at Brentford. Cody Gakpo is expected to feature.
Villarreal Team News
Tajon Buchanan is out with a hamstring injury, and Nicolas Pépé is sidelined after eye surgery. Striker Georges Mikautadze has impressed this season and is certain to start after scoring against Napoli. Predicted XI: Junior; Mourino, Navarro, Veiga, Romero; Saliba, Comesana, Gueye, Moleiro; Moreno, Mikautadze.
The Iraola Subplot
Here is a story that writes itself. Andoni Iraola faces Iñigo Pérez, the former Rayo Vallecano assistant who took over that job when Iraola left for Bournemouth. The sides have met four times, with Liverpool winning three. The last meeting was the 2022 semi-final, which Liverpool won 5-2 on aggregate.
Key Battles to Watch
Watch Isak against Villarreal’s centre-backs. He looks like the striker Liverpool paid a club-record fee for, and Florian Wirtz is the creator likely to feed him. At the other end, Mikautadze will hunt for space behind a patched-up Liverpool defence. A wide-open game is possible, since Liverpool have won only two of five at Anfield this season, with two draws and a loss.
Liverpool vs Villarreal Prediction
My own take is a 2-1 Liverpool win. Villarreal are resilient and will score, but Anfield pressure and the quality of Isak, Wirtz and Barcola should tell. Liverpool are not at full strength, so a nervy spell is likely.
The Bottom Line
Liverpool vs Villarreal is a chance for the Reds to stay perfect in Europe and for Iraola to beat the team that replaced him at Rayo. Who scores first? Drop your prediction in the comments, and follow ShapHub Sport Blog for full-time reaction.
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