Liverpool vs Villarreal Preview: Team news, lineups & prediction

Ahead of their latest visit to Anfield, Liverpool fans will have fond memories of facing Villarreal. The Reds and the Yellow Submarine have only previously clashed in semi-finals, with Jürgen Klopp's team coming from a goal down to reach the Europa League Final in 2016, before being victorious in both legs of a Champions League tie six years later, en route to Paris.

As the pair prepare to meet again, check out our preview, predictions, team news and TV guide.

Liverpool vs Villarreal match info

Date: Tuesday 20 October 2026

Kick off times: 8pm (BST) and 3pm (ET).

Competition: UEFA Champions League matchday 3

Venue: Anfield - Merseyside

How to watch: Paramount+ (USA) and Amazon Prime Video (UK).

Liverpool vs Villarreal match preview

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Liverpool (Home team): Can Liverpool continue their perfect start to this Champions League campaign? Just six nights ago, Andoni Iraola's team steamrollered LASK 6-3 in Linz, 4-0 and 5-1 up at various stages, with Bradley Barcola grabbing the headlines, courtesy of his hat-trick. Having also come from a goal down to beat Atlético Madrid at Anfield last month, the Reds are one of nine clubs currently able to boast maximum points.

Meantime, in the Premier League, Iraola claimed the most impressive victory of his Liverpool tenure on Saturday. Quick-fire goals from Víctor Muñoz and then Alexander Isak saw them come from a goal down to beat Brentford, admittedly helped by Yehor Yarmolyuk's red card in first half injury time.

Back in the Champions League, Liverpool have finished first and third since the introduction of the league phase, and have to fancy their chances of something similar this year. After this, Porto and Lens will visit Merseyside, while Kopites will travel to Fenerbahçe, Club Brugge and Inter Milan. In summary, all eight games are winnable, with the Reds targeting another three points here.

Villarreal (Away team): As for Villarreal, they were frankly embarrassing in last season's Champions League, picking up a solitary point, ignominiously beaten by debutants Pafos. Well, el Submarino Amarillo have already performed better this time round.

After an opening night defeat to Borussia Dortmund, they came from a goal down to beat Napoli at Estadio de la Cerámica a week ago. Georges Mikautadze equalised from an acute angle, before long-range strikes by both Santiago Mouriño and then Tani Oluwaseyi secured a 3-1 victory.

Meantime, in La Liga, new head coach Iñigo Pérez was under pressure, failing to win any of his first five matches, before timely back-to-back victories over Málaga and Levante just ahead of the international break. The Yellow Submarine were then narrowly beaten at the Bernabéu, before a goalless draw with Elche on Saturday, in which they had 16 shots to los Franjiverdes' five, but could not find the breakthrough.

With Paris Saint-Germain next up on their Champions League schedule, every point counts for Pérez and his team. Put succinctly, Liverpool have to be strong favourites for victory.

Liverpool team news

Andoni Iraola saw both Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong hobble off at the Gtech Community Stadium, leaving him with very little scope for rotation. Giovanni Leoni, Conor Bradley and Hugo Ekitiké remain sidelined long-term, while neither Wataru Endō nor Federico Chiesa are in the UEFA squad.

In better news, Alexander Isak scored at the weekend, but will he be ready to start for a second time in four days? In a further boost, Cody Gakpo was back on the bench against Brentford, now hoping to feature for the first time since sustaining an ankle injury in Belgrade on 27 September.

If Iraola does rotate, Kostas Tsimikas, Joe Gomez, Trey Nyoni, Rio Ngumoha and Lewis Koumas are among those hoping to come in. Ryan Gravenberch can return, having served his one-match domestic ban.

Villarreal team news

Iñigo Pérez has been rotating his goalkeeper this season, with summer signing Péter Gulácsi starting six matches, but Luiz Júnior doing so in the other five, so who knows who will get the nod this time?

Out-field, both Tajon Buchanan and Nicolas Pépé are injured, but there is still Canadian interest in striker Tani Oluwaseyi, who has scored three Champions League goals since the start of last season.

He partnered former Newcastle forward Ayoze Pérez at the weekend, while they also boast Gerard Moreno and Georges Mikautadze, so Pérez is spoilt for choice at centre-forward. USMNT right-back Alex Freeman is also in contention to start.

Predicted Line-ups

Liverpool predicted lineup: Alisson; Araújo, Jacquet, van Dijk, Tsimikas; Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Wirtz; Muñoz, Koumas, Barcola.

Villarreal predicted lineup: Luiz Júnior; Freeman, Navarro, Veiga, Romero; Saliba, Gueye, Comesaña, Moleiro; Pérez, Mikautadze.

Score prediction: Liverpool 3-1 Villarreal.

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