Liverpool will hope to make it three wins from three in the Champions League tonight when they host Villarreal.

The game will see a reunion of two close friends with Andoni Iraola coming up against Inigo Perez, who worked alongside him at Rayo Vallecano.

“For me it is a special game because Inigo is my friend,” said Iraola. “We know each other since the academy years in Athletic Club, we played with each other in the first team. As soon as he retired, I was quick enough to grab him to help as an assistant. We’ve been through a lot of things together.

“It is a privilege for me to face him in a Champions League game. He knows me very well, he knows everything. It is a team that I follow, I know the players and it is going to be a little bit strange but in a good way.”

Liverpool’s own form has picked up nicely. After the 3-0 home defeat to Manchester City, Iraola’s side responded with a 6-3 win at LASK in the Champions League and then a 2-1 victory at Brentford on Saturday, with Alexander Isak returning to score the winner. That’s six wins in eight games in all competitions, and Liverpool have won both of their Champions League games so far, having also beaten Atlético Madrid 2-1 at Anfield on matchday one. They sit fifth in the league-phase standings.

Villarreal endured a nightmare start under Pérez, going six games without a win in all competitions, including a defeat to Borussia Dortmund on matchday one. They’ve turned things around since, winning four times, including an impressive 3-1 victory over Napoli in their last Champions League game. However, their weekend ended in a goalless draw with Elche.

Where to Watch Liverpool v Villarreal: TV and online streams

Liverpool versus Villarreal kicks off at 8pm BST on Tuesday, October 20 at Anfield.

In the UK, the game is being shown on Amazon Prime Video. In the US, the game is on Paramount+ at 3pm ET.

If you live outside the UK, click the LINK HERE to find out where to watch it in your region.

Recent Form & Stats for Liverpool v Villarreal

• Both of the sides’ previous contests have come in European semi-finals, Liverpool progressing on aggregate on both occasions. In the 2015/16 Europa League, Villarreal won the first leg 1-0 at home before Liverpool triumphed 3-0 at Anfield. 
• Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool won both legs in the 2021/22 Champions League semi-finals, 2-0 at home and 3-2 away – although they had to recover from two goals down in the latter encounter. Alisson and Virgil van Dijk played in both games, as did Villarreal’s Juan Foyth.
• Liverpool have won their last five matches against Spanish clubs and their last four at home, defeating Atlético Madrid 2-1 at Anfield in their first game this season.
• The Reds have won their last seven group stage/league phase matches against Spanish teams.
• Liverpool have also lost only three of their last 16 games at Anfield versus Spanish visitors (W10 D3).
• Villarreal have never beaten an English club in the Champions League proper (D6 L10).
• Last season’s 0-2 home loss against Manchester City made it six successive defeats against Premier League opposition for the Spanish side.
• Villarreal are without a win in 10 away matches against English teams (D3 L7), since a 2-1 success at Everton in the 2005/06 Champions League third qualifying round. A 0-1 loss at Tottenham on their most recent visit, on Matchday 1 last season, made it three defeats in a row.