Rio Ngumoha the standout as Liverpool come from behind to win seven-goal thriller
Liverpool's Rio Ngumoha celebrates after teammate Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister (not pictured) scored their third goal Pic: Nick Potts/the Press Association.
AFTER looking in perilous danger of being sunk by the Yellow Submarines, a fab four goals spared Liverpool's blushes on a long and winding road to victory.
Rio Ngumoha didn't get his name on the scoresheet, but the teenage winger did everything but in a stunning individual display, teeing up one of Alexis MacAllister's brace and another for Ronald Araujo as Andoni Iraola's men made a hard day's night of securing a third consecutive victory at the outset of their Champions League campaign.
Villarreal were clearly so shell-shocked at the manner in which they tossed away a two-goal advantage, they even conceded to the unlikely source of Florian Wirtz, who warmed to the occasion as a second half substitute clad incongruously on a mild October evening in gloves.
Liverpool somehow went in at the interval all-square despite producing one of the most abject half-hours of football you are likely to see this season devoid of energy and urgency which again highlighted the waning powers of Virgil van Dijk and was duly punished by the men clad in bright yellow.
A side showing half a dozen changes from the victory at Brentford handed the initiative to the Spaniards by gifting the opening goal inside five minutes.
Van Dijk had already had one let-off when the visitors failed to punish his ball-watching, but the Dutchman wasn't so fortunate moments later.
From the centre-back's errant attempt to head back to Alisson, the ball looped up invitingly for the Gorges Mikautadze to control with his right foot before sliding a low shot past the exposed Liverpool keeper into the bottom corner with his left.
Even at such an early juncture, it was no less than Villarreal deserved. The hosts were desperately off the pace from the first whistle and the only surprise was that it took almost until the half-hour mark for them to ship a second.
A slick three-man move from their own half put Sergi Cardona - played onside by a labouring Kostas Tsimikas - through on goal.
With Mikautadze for company as insurance to underline the gaping hole left by the Liverpool defence, the 27-year-old full-back did the rest with a cool finish beyond Alisson from the edge of the area for his first Champions League goal.
Half-time was on the horizon before Iraola's side belatedly emerged from their damaging stupor to reduce the deficit.
Tsimikas partially atoned for his unwanted part in the visitors' second goal, swinging in an inviting corner from Liverpool's right to which MacAllister applied a deft glancing near post header to send the ball in at the far post, the Spanish side paying for following the perplexing current trend of not positioning defenders on the line at each upright on such set pieces.
It was the first significant occasion on which a Liverpool player had been first to the ball all evening, and from the second they drew level in first-half stoppage-time.
Villarreal failed to deal with another Tsimikas corner, allowing Ngumoha to win possession on the edge of the area and send an angled ball into the six-yard box which two defenders left to each other to allow Araujo to steal in at the far post to head the ball home.
To go in at the break having shared four goals really was floodlight robbery and how they surrendered the lead in such circumstances only the bemused Spaniards will know.
Ngumoha was one of the few Liverpool players to emerge from the first half with any credit, and the youngster maintained that momentum after the break as the hosts ensured their start to the second half was much more switched on than to the first.
Cody Gakpo's low shot was well saved by Peter Gulacsi and Trey Nyoni sent a long-range effort inches wide of the target as Liverpool closed in on their unlikely Houdini act.
The pressure eventually told. Ngumoha - who else - was the supply line, skipping down the right past three defenders to provide a perfect cutback which MacAllister tumped home from close range off the underside of the crossbar.
A 65th-minute goal marked the 65th birthday of legendary Reds striker Ian Rush, who no doubt enjoyed the show from his seat in the stands.
Within the blink of an eye, it was four. This one came down the left as Villarreal were cut open for Gakpo to thread a ball across for Wirtz, who took a touch before finding the bottom corner for the German's first goal since April.
Substitute Tani Oluwaseyi volleyed a close-range third for the Spaniards late on but it wasn't enough to avoid a 10th consecutive defeat to English clubs in this competition.
Alisson 6; Araujo 7 (Wirtz 46, 7), Jacquet 6 (Gomez 74, 6), Van Dijk 4, Tsimikas 5; Gravenberch 6, Nyoni 6 (McConnell 82, 6), MacAllister 8; Ngumoha 8 (Barcola 74, 6), Koumas 6 (Isak 67, 6), Gakpo 6.
Gulacsi 6; Mourino 6, Navarro 6, Renato Veigo 6, Cardona 7; Saliba 5 (Oluwaseyi 46, 6), Gueye 6; Buchanan 6 (Freeman 60, 5) Comesana 6, Moleiro 6 (Foyth 54, 6); Mikautadze 7 (Perez 60, 5).
Szymon Marciniak (Poland).
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