Liverpool host Villarreal at Anfield on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, in Matchday 3 of the UEFA Champions League league phase. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00pm BST, with Andoni Iraola's side looking to maintain their perfect European start against a Villarreal team that produced an impressive victory over Napoli on Matchday 2.
Liverpool have six points after beating Atlético Madrid 2-1 and LASK 6-3. Villarreal have three points, having lost 3-2 away to Borussia Dortmund before responding with a 3-1 home victory over Napoli. Liverpool have therefore scored eight goals in their opening two Champions League matches, while Villarreal have scored five.
Both clubs were also in domestic action on Saturday. Liverpool came from behind to beat Brentford 2-1, while Villarreal were held 0-0 by Elche despite controlling much of the contest. The demanding schedule gives both managers limited preparation time before Tuesday's meeting.
Head-to-Head Summary
Liverpool and Villarreal have met only four times previously in competitive European football, with all four fixtures coming in semi-finals. Liverpool have won three matches and Villarreal one, with no draws.
Their first meetings came in the 2015-16 Europa League semi-finals. Villarreal won the opening leg 1-0 in Spain through Adrián López's stoppage-time goal, but Liverpool overturned the deficit by winning 3-0 at Anfield.
They met again in the 2021-22 Champions League semi-finals. Liverpool won 2-0 at Anfield before surviving a major scare in Spain. Villarreal led the return leg 2-0 at halftime and briefly levelled the tie on aggregate, but second-half goals from Fabinho, Luis Díaz and Sadio Mané gave Liverpool a 3-2 victory and a 5-2 aggregate win.
Liverpool have therefore won all four Champions League points available? Wait, meetings are knockout games, not points. Across the four competitive matches, Liverpool have scored eight goals and Villarreal three. Anfield has been particularly decisive: Liverpool have won both previous competitive home meetings without conceding.
Last Meetings
Only four previous competitive meetings exist between Liverpool and Villarreal, so there is no 10-match sample to analyse. In keeping with this series, all verified competitive meetings are listed rather than adding friendlies to fill the list.
May 3, 2022 — Champions League: Villarreal 2-3 Liverpool
April 27, 2022 — Champions League: Liverpool 2-0 Villarreal
May 5, 2016 — Europa League: Liverpool 3-0 Villarreal
April 28, 2016 — Europa League: Villarreal 1-0 Liverpool
The limited history still reveals a useful pattern. Villarreal have troubled Liverpool in Spain, winning once and taking a 2-0 halftime lead in the other meeting, but Anfield has been far less forgiving. Liverpool have won both competitive home fixtures by an aggregate score of 5-0.
Liverpool Current Form
Liverpool's last five competitive matches have produced four victories and one defeat. They beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 in the League Cup, won 1-0 at Bournemouth, lost 3-0 at home to Manchester City, defeated LASK 6-3 in the Champions League and then came from behind to beat Brentford 2-1.
That sequence gives Liverpool 12 goals scored and eight conceded. The Manchester City defeat exposed defensive problems, while conceding three more against LASK showed that Iraola's side are not yet consistently secure. Their attacking response, however, has been strong.
The 6-3 victory in Austria was particularly explosive. Bradley Barcola scored a hat-trick as Liverpool repeatedly punished LASK after breaking through the hosts' pressure. Iraola described the attacking performance as highly complete, although conceding three goals provided obvious areas for improvement.
Saturday's victory at Brentford showed a different quality. Liverpool went behind before halftime but took advantage after the hosts were reduced to 10 men. Victor Muñoz equalised before the returning Alexander Isak produced a clever touch and finish to secure the 2-1 victory.
Liverpool therefore enter Matchday 3 having won both of their Champions League fixtures and four of their last five matches overall.
Villarreal Current Form
Villarreal's last five competitive matches have produced three wins, one draw and one defeat. They beat Málaga 3-1 and Levante 3-1, lost narrowly 1-0 at Real Madrid, defeated Napoli 3-1 in the Champions League and drew 0-0 with Elche.
That sequence gives Villarreal nine goals scored and four conceded. Iñigo Pérez's team have therefore shown a better recent defensive record than Liverpool, although their inability to score against Elche highlighted the difference between creating chances and converting them.
Villarreal were much more clinical against Napoli. After falling behind early, Georges Mikautadze equalised before Santiago Mouriño completed a rapid turnaround. Tani Oluwaseyi added the third late on to secure Villarreal's first Champions League victory of the season.
Against Elche, Pérez rotated heavily following the Napoli game. Only Alberto Moleiro and Santi Comesaña retained their places in the starting lineup, but Villarreal still dominated much of the contest and created repeated opportunities without finding a goal.
That rotation could be important at Anfield. Several players who started against Napoli were protected from playing a full league match on Saturday, potentially leaving Villarreal fresher than their schedule initially suggests.
Liverpool Team News and Injuries
Liverpool's injury picture remains complicated. Isak and Cody Gakpo returned to the matchday squad against Brentford after missing the Manchester City and LASK games. Isak started and scored the winning goal, while Gakpo remained an unused substitute.
Dominik Szoboszlai also returned to the starting lineup but lasted only 32 minutes before being withdrawn. Jeremie Frimpong then entered at halftime and was himself forced off only six minutes later because of injury. Both are major doubts for Villarreal unless Liverpool receive positive news before Tuesday.
Conor Bradley, Hugo Ekitike and Giovanni Leoni remain long-term absentees. Iraola had already explained before the Brentford match that Liverpool would need to rotate heavily during a sequence containing LASK, Brentford and Villarreal in less than a week.
Ryan Gravenberch's suspension against Brentford applied to the Premier League rather than UEFA competition, so he can return to contention. Liverpool's final selection will depend heavily on whether Szoboszlai or Frimpong recover and how much Iraola is willing to ask from players who featured on Saturday.
Villarreal Team News and Injuries
Villarreal's latest domestic lineup suggests Pérez has a relatively deep group available. Péter Gulácsi returned in goal against Elche after missing the Napoli game, while Juan Foyth, Logan Costa, Sergi Cardona, Ayoze Pérez, Ilias Akhomach and Oluwaseyi were among those who started.
Several Champions League starters were rested or used from the bench. Mikautadze, Gerard Moreno, Pape Gueye, Nathan Saliba, Mouriño and Renato Veiga were all available among the substitutes, giving Pérez options to restore players who performed strongly against Napoli.
Villarreal have not announced a major new confirmed injury or suspension specifically for the Liverpool match at the time of writing. Their final travelling squad and pre-match media update will therefore provide the clearest indication of any late absences.
Tactical Match Analysis
Liverpool's pressing and attacking movement should make them the more aggressive side at Anfield. Iraola's team have already scored eight goals in two Champions League matches and possess multiple players capable of receiving between the lines or attacking the space behind Villarreal's defence.
Florian Wirtz could become especially important. Against Brentford, Iraola highlighted his influence when Liverpool needed to break down a compact defence. His ability to operate in small spaces gives Liverpool a route through opponents that defend narrow rather than relying exclusively on crosses or direct transitions.
Barcola offers a different threat. His hat-trick against LASK demonstrated his ability to attack space aggressively, and he was again dangerous against Brentford, assisting Isak's winner and striking the crossbar. Villarreal's full-backs must therefore judge carefully when to advance.
Villarreal are unlikely to arrive simply to protect their penalty area. Pérez has used a 4-4-2 structure and has enough technical quality through Moleiro, Comesaña, Gerard Moreno and Mikautadze to play through pressure. Their victory over Napoli showed how quickly they can punish mistakes when opponents attempt risky buildup.
Mikautadze's movement against Liverpool's centre-backs could be particularly significant. Liverpool conceded three against both Manchester City and LASK, indicating that their defensive structure can still be exposed when opponents progress beyond the first press.
The first goal may matter considerably. UEFA notes that Villarreal have conceded first in each of their last seven Champions League away games, while Liverpool have won 15 of their last 16 Champions League group-stage or league-phase matches at Anfield.
Key Players to Watch
Alexander Isak
Isak's return immediately strengthened Liverpool's attack. After missing two matches with injury, he started at Brentford and scored the winning goal with a composed finish from a difficult angle.
His movement can force Villarreal's centre-backs deeper and open spaces for Wirtz and Barcola. The main question is workload after returning from injury rather than his importance to Liverpool's attack.
Bradley Barcola
Barcola enters the fixture in excellent attacking form after scoring three times at LASK. He also assisted Isak against Brentford and repeatedly found dangerous positions during Liverpool's second-half pressure.
His direct running could be particularly effective if Villarreal's wide defenders are encouraged to advance during possession.
Georges Mikautadze
Mikautadze scored Villarreal's equaliser against Napoli and led the line in their strongest European performance of the season. His movement around the penalty area gives the Spanish side a forward capable of converting quick attacks before Liverpool reorganise.
He was rested from the starting lineup against Elche, which should leave him relatively fresh for Anfield.
Alberto Moleiro
Moleiro was one of only two players retained in Villarreal's starting lineup between the Napoli and Elche matches, highlighting his importance to Pérez's attacking structure. He can receive from wide positions, move inside and help Villarreal connect midfield with their forwards.
Liverpool will need to prevent him from receiving freely behind their first pressing line, especially during transitions.
What the Numbers Tell Us
Liverpool have won three of the four previous competitive meetings with Villarreal, while Villarreal have won once.
Liverpool have won both previous competitive meetings at Anfield without conceding, scoring five goals.
Liverpool have six Champions League points from two matches this season, scoring eight goals and conceding four. Villarreal have three points, scoring five and conceding four.
Liverpool have won four of their last five competitive matches, scoring 12 goals and conceding eight.
Villarreal have three wins, one draw and one defeat from their last five competitive matches, scoring nine and conceding four.
Liverpool have won 15 of their last 16 Champions League group-stage or league-phase home matches.
Villarreal have never beaten an English club in the Champions League, recording six draws and 10 defeats across 16 matches.
The statistics strongly favour Liverpool historically and at Anfield, but Villarreal's recent defensive numbers are better. The Spanish side have conceded only four times across their last five matches and have already demonstrated their ability to defeat high-level opposition by beating Napoli.
Who Has the Statistical Edge?
Liverpool have the statistical edge. Their perfect Champions League start, Anfield record and historical advantage over Villarreal provide a strong combination of evidence. They have also won both previous home meetings with the Yellow Submarine without conceding.
UEFA's broader numbers strengthen the case. Liverpool have won their last five European matches against Spanish opposition and their last four such games at Anfield. Villarreal, meanwhile, are still searching for their first Champions League victory against an English club.
The matchup is not completely one-sided. Villarreal beat Napoli convincingly, have conceded only four goals across their last five competitive matches and possess enough technical quality to punish Liverpool's defensive mistakes. The Reds have conceded six goals across their last three games, including three against LASK.
A draw is therefore realistic if Villarreal survive Liverpool's early pressure and keep the match compact. However, the combination of Anfield, Liverpool's stronger European start and their attacking depth gives Iraola's side the clearer statistical advantage.
Conclusion
Liverpool vs Villarreal renews a European matchup previously reserved for semi-finals. Liverpool have won three of the four competitive meetings, including both games at Anfield without conceding, and enter Matchday 3 with six points from six after victories over Atlético Madrid and LASK.
Villarreal arrive with genuine reasons for confidence. Pérez's side recovered from their opening defeat at Dortmund by beating Napoli 3-1 and have conceded only four goals across their last five competitive matches. Their attacking options through Mikautadze, Moleiro and Gerard Moreno give them the ability to punish Liverpool if the hosts leave space during transitions.
Liverpool's injury situation adds uncertainty, particularly after Szoboszlai and Frimpong were forced off at Brentford. Even so, the return of Isak, Barcola's current form and Liverpool's outstanding Champions League record at Anfield give the hosts the statistical edge. Villarreal are capable of making the contest competitive, but Liverpool enter as the stronger side on the available evidence.