Liverpool vs Villarreal 4-3

Liverpool won 4-3 at Anfield after twice coming from behind and then holding off Villarreal's late reply. Alexis Mac Allister scored twice, Florian Wirtz added the fourth after coming off the bench, and Tani Oluwaseyi's goal in the 87th minute set up a tense finish.

Villarreal opened the scoring in the 4th minute through Georges Mikautadze, and Sergi Cardona Bermúdez made it 2-0 in the 29th minute from Nathan-Dylan Saliba's assist. Liverpool cut the gap through Mac Allister in the 36th minute, with Konstantinos Tsimikas providing the cross, before Ronald Araujo levelled in first-half stoppage time from Rio Ngumoha's pass. It was 2-2 at the break.

Mac Allister restored Liverpool's lead in the 65th minute, scoring his second of the match from another Ngumoha assist, and Wirtz, who came on in the 45th minute, made it 4-2 in the 68th minute after Cody Gakpo set him up. Villarreal made two changes in the 60th minute and Liverpool made two in the 74th, while the visitors pulled one back in the 87th minute when Oluwaseyi, who came on in the 45th minute, scored from Ayoze Pérez, who had arrived in the 60th minute. That left Liverpool protecting a one-goal lead through the closing stages.

Liverpool had 53% of the ball and 539 passes to Villarreal's 498, with 22 shots to 14 and 7 on target to 5. The home side also had more corners, 7 to 2, while Villarreal finished with more offsides, 4 to 2, and more saves, 4 to 2. Liverpool's expected goals read 2.41 to Villarreal's 1.54.

Villarreal collected the only bookings, with Alberto Moleiro cautioned in the 27th minute and Álvaro Santiago Mouriño González booked in the 41st minute. There were no red cards.