Villarreal’s upcoming Champions League tie against Liverpool is going to be a colorful one, as the humble Yellow Submarine goes up against the mighty Reds from Merseyside. On the pitch, they will make up the Spanish flag with their kits. Perhaps that is a sign of which side the match will go? Here is our Villarreal vs Liverpool preview.
Villarreal Still Chasing Last Season’s High
After finishing third in La Liga last season, many critics expected the Valencian club to challenge for the title under new manager Inigo Perez. Perez had a great run with Rayo Vallecano last season, reaching the final of the UEFA Conference League before jumping to Villarreal to replace the outgoing Marcelino.
So far, Villarreal have played nine games in La Liga and have only won two, leaving them with just nine points. Inigo Perez’s men have conceded 13 goals already and have themselves scored only 13. They have managed to win only one out of their six games away from home. Villarreal started the 2026–27 season winless in their first six games across all competitions, suffering four defeats.
Their Champions League run has been decent, with a very tight 3-2 loss against Borussia Dortmund and a resounding 3-1 comeback victory over Napoli. After finishing their previous Champions League campaign 35th with just a single point, this is already an improvement for the Yellow Submarine.
The Master Meets the Apprentice
A little-known fact that a lot of people don’t realize is that Andoni Iraola, Liverpool’s manager, and Iñigo Pérez have a long history together and could have been working together at Liverpool now.
Iraola was the manager of La Liga side Rayo Vallecano from 2020 to 2023. When Iñigo Pérez retired from playing professional soccer, he joined Iraola as an assistant manager at Rayo. Under Iraola, Pérez learned a lot of his coaching methods and honed his skills alongside him.
When Iraola moved to Bournemouth in 2023, he wanted Iñigo Pérez to join him in England to continue their partnership abroad. Rayo Vallecano had offered Pérez the hot seat after Iraola’s departure, but Pérez only wanted to manage alongside Iraola, even as an assistant, so he rejected Rayo’s advances. However, post-Brexit rules meant that the UK’s visa policies had tightened, and because Pérez did not yet hold a UEFA Pro License, his work visa wasn’t approved. Eventually, he accepted the Rayo job and then moved to Villarreal while Iraola managed Bournemouth and now Liverpool.
Now, the two will face each other on the grandest stage of them all.
Villarreal vs Liverpool: Match Facts
- Villarreal and Liverpool have faced each other a total of four times in official competitions. Liverpool have three victories and Villarreal have one.
- The solitary victory for the Yellow Submarine came in their very first fixture together, a Europa League clash in 2016.
- The two teams met in the semifinals of the 2021/22 Champions League in that highly impressive run by Villarreal, when they were the defending Europa League champions. Liverpool beat them 5-2 over two legs, but Villarreal absolutely delivered one of the best deep runs by an underdog in Champions League history.
- In fact, this is the first time the two teams are meeting in a fixture that is not a European semifinal. Liverpool progressed to the final on both previous occasions.
- Villarreal have never managed to score a goal at Anfield on any of their previous visits, so it will be tough to break that streak in the upcoming fixture.
- The Spanish side have gone 13 games without keeping a clean sheet in the competition, so expect Liverpool to keep that streak going.
- Andoni Iraola scored his last professional soccer goal against Villarreal back in 2015.
- Peter Gulacsi, Villarreal’s goalkeeper, was a Liverpool player between 2008 and 2013 but never made a single competitive appearance despite being on the bench 51 times.
- Villarreal’s nickname, the Yellow Submarine, is strongly inspired by the Beatles’ song of the same name. The Beatles were based in Liverpool.
Villarreal vs Liverpool: Team News and Prediction
Iñigo Pérez’s side will be without the services of right wingers Tajon Buchanan and Nicolas Pepe, with their injuries being one of the main reasons for Pérez’s tough start at the club. Peter Gulacsi is expected to return to the No. 1 spot after Luiz Junior stepped in for him in the game against Napoli.
As for Liverpool, both Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong are out injured, alongside striker Hugo Ekitiké, who is out for almost the entire season.
Prediction: Liverpool to win 3-0.
Abhik Deb is an accomplished sports journalist and content creator, renowned for his innovative approach to digital storytelling within the football world. With a Master’s degree in Sports Journalism and Communications from Universidad Europea de Madrid, Abhik brings a sophisticated understanding of both traditional journalistic tenets and contemporary digital media strategies to his work. His professional journey includes a significant tenure as a multimedia journalist at Real Madrid C.F., where his contributions spanned video editing, scriptwriting, and on-camera presenting. Notably, Abhik made history as the first Indian to record a live stand-up from the hallowed Santiago Bernabéu pitch for Real Madrid TV, underscoring his pioneering spirit and influential presence. A specialist in La Liga and Spanish football, Abhik excels at captivating audiences through viral football content and insightful documentary-style videos. His natural ability to blend rigorous journalism with creative digital storytelling is evident in his independent fan channel, ‘LaLigaVic,’ where he cultivates a growing audience through engaging, original coverage of Spanish football culture. Abhik’s proficiency extends to social media strategy and audience engagement, crucial skills in today’s digital landscape. You can explore more of Abhik’s work on Hooligan Soccer and Muckrack. Connect with Abhik on Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube to follow his continuous dedication to delivering high-quality, authoritative sports content.
