Liverpool won a thrilling 4-3 against Villarreal at Anfield, but Virgil van Dijk is under heavy fire after another defensive slip let the visitors score late in the Champions League clash. 😳
The Reds captain had a rough night, with his errors reportedly playing a part in all three Villarreal goals in a seven-goal thriller.
The last of them came in the 87th minute, when Tani Oluwaseyi was left unmarked at the far post to finish off a delivery. Van Dijk failed to push up and hold the offside line, which kept the striker onside and gave him a simple chance.
It was a frustrating moment for a Liverpool side that had fought hard to recover from two goals down. Georges Mikautadze and Sergi Cardona put Villarreal in command early on and exposed some defensive weaknesses. The Reds hit back in style, with Alexis Mac Allister scoring twice and Ronald Araujo and Florian Wirtz also getting on the scoresheet.
Even so, the defensive issues never went away. Van Dijk’s part in the late goal, on top of the earlier errors that helped Villarreal take the lead, has raised fresh questions about how organised Liverpool are at the back.
For a player who has been one of the club’s key leaders in recent years, it was a night to forget. He remains central to the team, but his recent mistakes will draw scrutiny given the standards expected at Anfield.
Liverpool got the points, but can they keep conceding like this and get away with it? 👀 With Brighton next, they will need to tighten up. Their attack has shown they can come from behind, but relying on comebacks every week is a risky way to compete.
The win keeps their Champions League campaign on track, yet it leaves supporters debating whether the defensive setup needs to change.
