Liverpool vs Villarreal prediction

Liverpool come into the Champions League tie on the back of two wins in the competition, scoring eight goals while conceding four. Their recent league form is strong with four wins out of five, including a 6‑3 away victory over Lask Linz. Villarreal have a mixed record, registering a win, a draw and two losses in their last five, and sit on three points in the group.\n\nIn the head‑to‑head record Liverpool have the edge, winning three of the four previous Champions League meetings, most recently a 3‑2 away win in 2022. Villarreal are missing T. Buchanan and N. Pepe through injury, while Liverpool also have several players ruled out but none that appear to be core starters.\n\nBoth sides have shown a tendency for open games – the four historic meetings averaged 2.75 goals and Liverpool’s recent scoring rate is four goals per game. This suggests the fixture is likely to produce at least three goals.