Liverpool 4-3 Villarreal: Mac Allister scores twice as Reds fight back from two goals down in a Champions League classic
Well, that was certainly a night to remember at Anfield!
Liverpool looked in serious trouble after falling two goals behind against Villarreal, but Andoni Iraola’s side produced a brilliant attacking response to turn the game around and maintain their perfect start to the Champions League campaign.
Alexis Mac Allister scored twice, Ronald Araújo grabbed a crucial equaliser just before half-time and Florian Wirtz finally got his name on the scoresheet as Liverpool won a seven-goal thriller.
It was exciting, exhausting and, at times, absolutely infuriating. The three points are what matter most, but there are still things Iraola will want to address after a performance that showed both the best and worst of his Liverpool side.
A nightmare start for Liverpool
Liverpool could hardly have made a worse start.
Just four minutes had been played when Georges Mikautadze put Villarreal ahead, punishing a defensive error to give the visitors an early advantage.
Anfield was stunned, but Liverpool had plenty of time to respond.
Unfortunately, the defensive problems continued. Sergi Cardona scored Villarreal’s second in the 29th minute, leaving Liverpool two goals behind and facing a difficult evening.
Virgil van Dijk will not want to watch those early moments back too often. The Liverpool captain was involved in defensive mistakes that helped Villarreal take control, and the Reds suddenly looked vulnerable at the back.
This is the frustrating thing about Liverpool at the moment. There is plenty of attacking quality, but when the defence switches off, even briefly, opponents are capable of making them pay.
Thankfully, the response was exactly what Liverpool needed.
Mac Allister gives Liverpool hope
Liverpool finally found their way back into the game in the 36th minute.
Alexis Mac Allister finished to make it 2-1, giving the home supporters something to believe in again.
It was a huge goal because Liverpool needed to score before half-time. Going into the break two goals behind would have made the task considerably harder.
Instead, the Reds kept pushing.
And right on the stroke of half-time, Araújo rose to head home and make it 2-2.
What a turnaround in the space of 16 minutes.
Liverpool had gone from looking completely out of sorts to heading into the interval on level terms. Araújo’s goal was particularly important, and the defender continues to give Iraola another reason to trust him.
At half-time, the game was beautifully poised.
Liverpool had plenty of work to do, but the momentum had shifted.
Rio Ngumoha helps Liverpool take control
The second half belonged to Liverpool’s attacking talent, and one young player in particular deserves enormous credit.
Rio Ngumoha was outstanding.
The youngster provided the assist for Mac Allister’s second goal in the 65th minute, completing Liverpool’s comeback and putting the Reds ahead for the first time.
Just three minutes later, Florian Wirtz made it 4-2.
Wirtz’s goal was another encouraging moment for a player who has faced plenty of criticism. Liverpool supporters want to see him produce more decisive contributions, and finding the net in a match like this could give him a valuable confidence boost.
Ngumoha also assisted Wirtz’s goal, giving the teenager two assists on a memorable European night. He became the youngest player in Liverpool’s history to score or assist in European competition, underlining just how special his contribution was.
I’ve been keen to see Liverpool’s young players get opportunities, and Ngumoha is making it increasingly difficult for Iraola to overlook him.
He wasn’t simply making up the numbers tonight. He made a genuine difference.
Liverpool make it harder than it needed to be
Of course, this is Liverpool, so they couldn’t make the closing stages straightforward.
Villarreal refused to give up and Tani Oluwaseyi pulled a goal back in the 87th minute.
Suddenly, at 4-3, Liverpool were under pressure again.
After doing the hard work to recover from two goals down, the Reds were in danger of throwing away their advantage. The final minutes were tense, and Villarreal made sure Liverpool had to fight until the end.
That late goal is a reminder that there is still work to do defensively.
You cannot expect to win every match by scoring four goals, and better opponents will punish the kind of mistakes Liverpool made in the first half.
But tonight, at least, the attack came to the rescue.
A massive result for Iraola
Three wins from three Champions League matches is an excellent start for Liverpool, and coming through a game like this could prove important as the campaign progresses.
There are positives everywhere you look going forward.
Mac Allister scored twice. Araújo made a vital contribution. Wirtz got his goal. And Ngumoha produced the kind of performance that will have Liverpool supporters excited about what comes next.
But I don’t want to ignore the defensive concerns simply because Liverpool won.
Falling two goals behind at home is not good enough, and Iraola will know that his side cannot keep making life so difficult for themselves.
The encouraging thing is that Liverpool showed character, quality and the ability to respond when things were going badly.
They could have folded at 2-0. Instead, they scored four goals and took all three points.
That’s the sort of resilience supporters want to see.
Liverpool now turn their attention back to the Premier League, with Brighton visiting Anfield on Sunday.
After tonight’s drama, I’d quite happily settle for a slightly less stressful afternoon.
But if Liverpool can take the attacking confidence from this performance while tightening things up at the back, there is plenty to be encouraged about.
A brilliant comeback, three Champions League wins from three, and another reminder that Rio Ngumoha could be a very special talent.
What a night at Anfield.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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