Villarreal stunned Liverpool with a goal inside the opening four minutes of their Champions League clash at Anfield on Tuesday night. Georges Mikautadze fired the Spanish side into a surprise 1-0 lead after capitalising on a dreadful mistake from Reds captain Virgil van Dijk.The Dutch defender appeared to have a routine header back to goalkeeper Alisson Becker under control following a long ball forward.However, Van Dijk badly misjudged his header, sending the ball looping into the air and allowing Mikautadze to race through on goal.The Villarreal striker made no mistake, calmly slotting his finish across Alisson and into the bottom corner to silence the home crowd.It was a nightmare start for Andoni Iraolas side, who entered the contest looking to maintain their perfect record in this seasons Champions League.Liverpool had won both of their opening league-phase matches, scoring eight goals in the process, but were caught cold by their Spanish opponents.The hosts had made six changes from their 2-1 Premier League win over Brentford, with Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo among those returning to the starting XI.Things got worse for the home side before half-time, with Sergi Cardona doubling Villarreals lead.However, Alexis Mac Allister gave Liverpool a lifeline shortly after, but still leaving his side with work to do in the second half.Stay up to date with all the action right here on 101GreatGoals. Topics Liverpool F.C. Villarreal CF If you enjoy reading this article, you can help support our independent football journalism by adding 101 Great Goals as a preferred source You Should Also Read LIVE Liverpool v Villarreal: Commentary, updates, goals and stats Jon Fisher 20th October, 2026 Liverpool v Villarreal: Confirmed team news and line-ups as Reds return to Champions League action Mitch Fretton 20th October, 2026 Champions League predictions: Full guide to Matchday 3 2026/27 Ben Miller 20th October, 2026 Liverpool v Villarreal: Preview, expected line-ups, stats and where to watch Jon Fisher 20th October, 2026 Liverpool to be patient with Szoboszlai following latest injury Nicholas McGee 19th October, 2026 Which Premier League fixtures are on TV in December? Ben Miller 19th October, 2026
