Liverpool vs Villarreal preview: What to expect from the Yellow Submarine

From Rahul Lakhani – La Liga Lowdown

Villarreal have had a tough start to life under Íñigo Pérez, winning just two of their nine LaLiga games so far, but their trip to face Liverpool comes after an impressive victory over Napoli in the Champions League.

Pérez, formerly assistant to Andoni Iraola at Rayo Vallecano, arrived in the summer after the departure of club legend Marcelino, and he arrived with two objectives: to instil a more attacking style of play and improve the results in the Champions League.

The Yellow Submarine endured a disastrous return to Europe’s elite competition last season, failing to win a single game, losing seven of eight matches and finishing 35th in the league phase.

The win over Napoli, which saw Villarreal come from a goal behind to secure a dominant victory, already means that they have more points than in the entire league phase last year. In the domestic games, there has been a clear shift in style, but results have not matched performances.

The backline has been Villarreal’s weakest point and is constantly changing. Saturday’s 0-0 draw at home to Elche was Villarreal’s first clean sheet since February, with the run of 25 games without one the longest out of any team in Europe’s top five leagues.

Villarreal were predominantly a counter-attacking side under Marcelino, and their third-placed finish last season saw them rank 17th in LaLiga for average possession. Right now, they are second only to Barcelona in this regard, with Pérez pushing Villarreal higher up the pitch and seeking to keep the ball.

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Villarreal team news vs Liverpool

There are several selection headaches for Pérez at Anfield. In goal, former Liverpool backup Peter Gulacsi is expected to keep his place from the weekend, despite missing the Napoli game.

Right-backs Alex Freeman and Santiago Mouriño provide two different profiles, but with the Uruguayan scoring in both Champions League games so far, Mouriño is expected to start.

Juan Foyth has struggled with injuries, and it will be a choice of the Argentinian or the less experienced Pau Navarro to line up alongside Renato Veiga in central defence. Carlos Romero is expected to start at left-back, as a dynamic full-back who offers a lot going forward.

With Pérez favouring a 4-2-3-1 rather than Villarreal’s traditional 4-4-2, Pape Gueye and Nathan Saliba are likely to start in midfield with Santi Comesana as a flat trio, but with Saliba then drifting to the right when out of possession. There is a strong blend of physicality and skill within this trio.

The front three is likely to be Alberto Moleiro, Georges Mikautadze and Gerard Moreno, as the options with the most quality, but the poor form of Mikautadze could see Ilias Akhomach given another chance out wide.

Nicolas Pepe and Tajon Buchanan are the main sources of speed in wide areas, but with both absent through injury, Villarreal have struggled in moments of transition without them.

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Villarreal’s expectations at Anfield

Pérez is perhaps the manager who knows Iraola more than anyone, but is a coach unlikely to adapt his system too much to counter the strengths of the opposition: Villarreal sat slightly deeper in the first half against Real Madrid, but still stuck to the coach’s possession-based style.

Expect Villarreal to come out and try to dominate possession, rather than sitting in a deep block as they would have done in previous years.

Villarreal have been susceptible to errors, and have struggled to deal with balls over the top: the higher defensive line has been a struggle for some of the back line, and Liverpool’s speed may prove too much to deal with.

In attack, Villarreal’s increased possession means they are creating more chances than before, but their finishing has dropped off massively.

The individual form and confidence of several attackers, and record-signing Mikautadze in particular, have been a huge concern, and one which has cost them in big moments this season.

Despite their struggles, Villarreal have shown glimpses of their quality this season, and there have been signs of improvement in recent weeks. Pérez’s side will back themselves to cause Liverpool problems if they can make their possession count and exploit opportunities in attack.
However, their defensive frailties and lack of cutting edge in the final third remain major concerns heading to Anfield. Villarreal have the quality to make it a contest, but the current mood is one of hope rather than confidence.