Mac Allister and Ngumoha star in Liverpool comeback
Liverpool came from two goals down to produce another memorable Champions League comeback at Anfield as it beat Villarreal 4-3 to keep its perfect record intact.
Georges Mikautadze and Sergi Cardona had put Villarreal in a strong position by the 29th minute, but Alexis Mac Allister and Ronald Araujo levelled things up before the break.
Mac Allister scored his second after being teed up by the impressive Rio Ngumoha, with Florian Wirtz netting a confidence-boosting goal before Tani Oluwaseyi's late consolation.
Andoni Iraola made six changes to the side that beat nine-man Brentford, though it was one of the players who remained that gifted Villarreal a shock fourth-minute lead, with Virgil van Dijk's wayward header back to Alisson pinched by Mikautadze, who tucked home from a tight angle.
Ngumoha led Liverpool's fightback by causing havoc down the right-hand side, but it was Villarreal who doubled their lead with relative ease just before the half-hour mark when Nathan Saliba's pass carved open the hosts' defence, allowing Cardona to race through and slot into the bottom-left corner.
However, Liverpool hit back quickly through Mac Allister, who glanced Kostas Tsimikas's in-swinging corner home, with the Argentine then firing inches wide moments later.
On the stroke of half-time, Liverpool was level. Ngumoha whipped a teasing ball into the penalty area that Cardona attempted to shield, but Araujo steamed in at the back post to nod past former Reds goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi.
Liverpool maintained its momentum early in the second half with Cody Gakpo and Wirtz testing Gulacsi before Trey Nyoni's arrowed drive whistled past the right post.
The comeback was complete just after the hour when Ngumoha once again terrorised the Villarreal defence. This time he provided a pinpoint cross for Mac Allister to sweep home his second – and Liverpool's third – off the crossbar.
Wirtz, who had yet to score for Liverpool this season, continued his good recent form with a left-footed finish into the bottom-right corner in the 68th minute, but Villarreal threatened a nervy finish when Oluwaseyi tucked in from Ayoze Perez's delivery, though the Reds held on to make it three wins from three in Europe this season.
Alexis Mac Allister
Liverpool FC
