'He's difficult to stop' - Ngumoha stars in Liverpool comeback win — SkimNews
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- Liverpool came from 2-0 down to beat Villarreal 4-3 at Anfield, extending their Champions League run to 3 wins from 3 and completing a turnaround after Mikautadze struck in the 4th minute and Cardona finished a slick move in the 29th
- Rio Ngumoha, an 18-year-old winger, finished with 2 assists and 7 successful dribbles; Anfield played Duran Duran's "Rio" over the PA after full-time and Daniel Sturridge called his ball control "God-given ability" on Amazon Prime
- Alexis Mac Allister headed in Tsimikas' corner on 36 minutes and finished brilliant Ngumoha wing play in the 65th to complete his brace, with Ronald Araujo (47th) and Florian Wirtz (68th) also scoring in a four-goal blitz
- Villarreal head coach Inigo Perez identified Liverpool's stoppage-time equaliser as the game's turning point, saying his side "managed to stay in the game until the end" and were not close to being "hammered" despite the scoreline
- Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola praised Ngumoha's one-v-one play and improving defensive contribution, noting the winger is "eager to improve things" and has grown comfortable on the right flank shooting onto his left
- Liverpool have conceded 3 goals in each of their last two Champions League matches yet won both, leaving the manager with defensive concerns despite the perfect record
- Tani Oluwaseyi scored on 87 minutes to set up a nervous Anfield finish after Peter Gulacsi had conceded four, with Villarreal adding late pressure in a match that featured seven goals across both sides
Why it matters: Liverpool's three wins from three secures a perfect Champions League start, but conceding three goals in each of their last two European fixtures exposes a defensive brittleness the attack — and a teenage Ngumoha — keep papering over; Iraola will need the back line tightened before tougher knockout opposition tests the Reds. Ngumoha's two-assist, seven-dribble breakout also turns an 18-year-old academy product into Liverpool's most decisive attacker on a European night.
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