Georges Mikautadze put Villarreal ahead early and Sergi Cardona doubled the advantage before Liverpool fought back. Alexis Mac Allister headed in the first, and Ronald Araújo levelled before the break. Mac Allister scored again after half-time, with Florian Wirtz adding a fourth soon afterwards. Tani Oluwaseyi’s late goal made for a tense finish, but Liverpool held on for a third straight win in the league phase.
“They’ve been much better than us, especially the first 30-35 minutes until the 2-0,” Iraola said. “We did much better than them in the second half, especially the 30-35 minutes until the fourth goal, probably.”
Iraola said Liverpool started too casually and that Villarreal’s quality made the win especially valuable. At half-time, he replaced Ronald Araújo with Wirtz and moved Ryan Gravenberch to right-back to address Villarreal’s overload in midfield.
“We thought that a player like Ryan Gravenberch could do both jobs – defensively following inside, even I think he’s good enough outside to sustain the one-v-ones, and also offensively could be a better help for Rio, attacking down the right side,” he said.
Rio Ngumoha was among Liverpool’s key threats after the break, providing the assist for Mac Allister’s goal. Iraola said the 18-year-old had been asked to work hard defensively but was difficult to stop when he received the ball in one-on-one situations.
“The assist to Alexis, I think it is, is a lovely play,” he said.
Iraola also praised Ngumoha’s attitude and willingness to develop, noting that he had become more comfortable playing on the right and was adding new elements to his game. He cautioned that the teenager would experience ups and downs, but said his approach to improvement was encouraging.
Villarreal coach Iñigo Pérez said his team could take positives from scoring three times and competing against Liverpool, but insisted they also had to confront the defeat.
“[Leading at half-time] would have helped us a lot in terms of how we approached the second half,” Pérez said. “In the end, we conceded the equaliser and they gained momentum. This is Anfield, and you’re playing against Liverpool. These are the details that end up working against you.”
Iraola said Liverpool’s intensity and physical rhythm improved after the interval, helping them win more duels and complete the comeback.