Liverpool will welcome Villarreal to Anfield for the third round of the Champions League group stage. Andoni Iraola's side will be looking to continue their successful run in Europe and keep their 100% record intact.
The Reds kicked off their campaign with a home win against Atletico before demolishing LASK 6-3 away. Now they face the Spanish side, who have picked up three points from their first two matches: after a loss to Borussia Dortmund, Villarreal bounced back to defeat Napoli.
Injury updates
Liverpool have concerns over the fitness of Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong. Both players were forced off the field in the last match against Brentford due to muscle issues and, according to early reports, may miss the encounter with Villarreal.
In contrast, the Spanish club reportedly has no injury concerns, as per sources from Tribal Football.
Predicted line-ups
Liverpool: Alisson; Joe Gomez, Jeremie Jacquet, Virgil van Dijk, Kostas Tsimikas; Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister; Bradley Barcola, Florian Wirtz, Cody Gakpo; Alexander Isak.
Villarreal: Luis Junior; Santiago Mourinho, Rafa Marin, Renatu Veiga, Carlos Romero; Nathan Saliba, Santi Comesana, Pape Gueye, Alberto Moleiro; Gerard Moreno, Georgy Mikautadze.
These are predicted starting line-ups and not official team sheets. The final XI will be confirmed closer to kick-off.
Match statistics
Historically, Liverpool have the edge in encounters with Villarreal, winning three of their last four matchups, with only one defeat. Additionally, Villarreal has struggled against English teams in the Champions League, having recorded six draws and ten losses without a single victory. Meanwhile, Liverpool has achieved 15 wins in their last 16 home fixtures in the group stages or knockout rounds of the tournament.
