Would it really be Liverpool Football Club without making things hard for themselves on a Champions League night at Anfield?
Andoni Iraola will no doubt be pleased to have secured a comeback win over Villarreal last night, but he will also be disappointed by the nature of the goals which saw his men go 2-0 down.
The meeting was a rollercoaster of emotions for the supporters on Merseyside, but it was one which showcased the never-say-die attitude of the Reds’ senior ranks.
REUTERS/Phil Noble
How Liverpool's clash with Villarreal played out
Despite spirits being high and optimism through the roof before kick-off, the Liverpool faithful were silenced after 29 minutes following the early performance of the Spanish visitors.
Goals from Georges Mikautadze and Sergi Cardona handed Inigo Perez’s men a two-goal advantage, which left Iraola’s side staring down the barrel of a first European defeat of the season.
However, the Reds’ fortunes would quickly turn around in just a ten-minute period, as goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Ronald Araujo restored parity before the break.
REUTERS/Phil Noble
From there on, Liverpool secured control of the game at Anfield, with midfielder Mac Allister netting his second of the game to hand the side the lead for the first time on the night.
Substitute Florian Wirtz managed to get in on the act just four minutes later, subsequently making it 4-2 and three successive games where he has scored or assisted.
Tani Oluwaseyi’s 87th-minute effort ensured a nervy finish, but it wasn’t enough as the Reds dispatched the LaLiga outfit to maintain their 100% record in Europe this term.
Why Van Dijk produced his worst display for Liverpool
Virgil Van Dijk is a player who has gained a reputation of being a Rolls Royce defender over recent years and set an elite-level standard for himself on the pitch.
It’s very rare the Dutch international has an evening to forget, but his showing against Villarreal certainly falls into such a category, with the 34-year-old looking a shadow of his usual self.
Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
His wayward header allowed Mikautadze the chance to open the scoring just four minutes into proceedings - an error which is very rarely seen in the centre-back’s game.
He also looked a step below his usual dominant self out of possession, as seen with his ground duel tally, which saw the opposition get the better of him on three occasions.
Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk during the warm up before the match
Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk during the warm up before the match
Van Dijk also committed two fouls in the process, with his sloppy performance at Anfield nearly costing Iraola’s side all three points on Tuesday evening.
Why 4/10 Liverpool star was worse than Van Dijk vs Villarreal
After such a dismal performance, the Liverpool faithful will no doubt be hoping that such a showing was just a one-off and the defender can return to his best against Brighton & Hove Albion.
The Dutchman is arguably the club’s most influential player, and has been for many years, with Iraola undoubtedly putting faith in the experienced star to rectify his struggles.
However, the same may not be said about left-back Kostas Tsimikas, who was preferred to regular starter Milos Kerkez for the visit of Villarreal yesterday evening.
REUTERS/Phil Noble
The Greek international was handed his second consecutive European start after managing to catch the eye during the previous hammering of LASK last week.
There’s no denying his showing this time around was a step below that of the week prior, with the 30-year-old arguably producing a display worse than that of Van Dijk.
Tsimikas struggled defensively throughout the contest, as seen by his ability to win just one of the three tackles he contested during the win at Anfield.
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Kostas Tsimikas - stats vs Villarreal
Statistics
Minutes played
Touches
Pass accuracy
Assists
Possession lost
Fouls committed
Aerials won
Cross accuracy
Dribbles completed
He also committed three fouls in the process and often got caught out by the direct nature of Tajon Buchanan down his side of the pitch despite the side’s win.
In possession, the former Olympiacos man was just as ineffective, as he only managed to pick out a teammate with 33% of the crosses he made into the opposition’s box.
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As a result, he handed possession back to the opposition on 20 separate occasions, with such a tally the highest of any player who started the game for Iraola’s men.
After such a performance, the defender was handed a measly 4/10 match rating - with the manager desperately needing to recall Kerkez for the club’s next encounter.
He’s certainly been a valuable squad member over the last couple of years, but if Liverpool are to go deep in such a competition, it’s crucial Iraola is brutal with his decision-making.
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