Liverpool have historical edge over Villarreal ahead of UEFA Champions League clash

Liverpool aim for their third consecutive win in the UEFA Champions League this season as they host Villarreal at Anfield in the third round.

The encounter carries a positive record for the English team, having advanced at the expense of Villarreal in the previous two occasions they met in the Semi-Final of European competitions. In the 2015/2016 season, Liverpool lost the first leg 1-0 before winning the second leg 3-0. They then triumphed in the UEFA Champions League Semi-Final in the 2021/2022 season with scores of 2-0 and 3-2, having overturned a two-goal deficit in the second leg.

Liverpool enter the match with a strong record against Spanish clubs, having won their last five encounters with them and their last four home matches against them. They have also achieved 15 victories in their last 16 matches played at home in the group stage or knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League, while losing only three matches out of their last 16 encounters at Anfield against Spanish teams.

In contrast, Villarreal struggles against English clubs, having not achieved a single victory in the UEFA Champions League against them, managing only six draws and ten defeats. They have also lost their last six European away matches, scoring just two goals while conceding 16. Furthermore, they have conceded the first goal in their last seven matches played away in the competition.

Liverpool secured their fifth consecutive win in the league by beating LASK 6-3 in the second round. Meanwhile, Villarreal ended a 12-match winless streak in the UEFA Champions League by defeating Napoli 3-1.

In terms of the teams' history in the competition, Liverpool have reached the final five times and won the title in 2005 and 2019, while Villarreal are making their sixth appearance after reaching the Semi-Final in the 2021/2022 season, matching their best achievement in the tournament. Liverpool finished last season's league phase in third place before being eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain, while Villarreal finished in thirty-fifth place.