Alexis Mac Allister drove Liverpool’s 4-3 Champions League comeback against Villarreal at Anfield, scoring twice to turn a difficult European night and deepen an already striking record against Spanish opposition. Rio Ngumoha collected the man-of-the-match award, but the Argentine midfielder supplied the decisive weight in Liverpool’s recovery.
Mac Allister swings the tie against Villarreal
Liverpool were 2-1 behind when Mac Allister found the net in the 36th minute. Kostas Tsimikas delivered a corner and the Argentine met it with a header, despite admitting that aerial finishing is not usually a major part of his preparation.
He completed his double in the 65th minute, arriving late into the box to finish Ngumoha’s low ball across goal and make it 3-2. Liverpool went on to win 4-3.
- 36th minute: Mac Allister headed in Tsimikas’ corner to reduce the deficit.
- 65th minute: he timed a run from deep to convert Ngumoha’s cutback.
- Ngumoha was named MVP after playing a key role in the winner’s second goal.
“I am not tall, but I love getting into the box,” Mac Allister said. “People know I like attacking the near post. I scored a similar one at the World Cup. It was a good header, although it is not something I work on very often.
“My father is a little shorter than me, but he was also quite good in the air, so perhaps I got it from him. For the second goal, Rio was incredible.”
Spanish teams have become his Champions League target
The Villarreal double took Mac Allister to eight Champions League goals, five of them against clubs from La Liga. That means 62.5% of his goals in the competition have come against Spanish sides.
He had already scored against Atlético Madrid in Liverpool’s 2-1 opening victory of the campaign. Among players with at least six Champions League goals, only two men have recorded a higher proportion against Spanish opponents.
- Josip Ilicic: five of seven Champions League goals against La Liga teams, 71.4%.
- Alexandre Pato: four of six, 66.6%.
- Alexis Mac Allister: five of eight, 62.5%.
There is another Anfield-specific element to his European scoring. Every one of Mac Allister’s eight Champions League goals has been registered at Liverpool’s home ground, making him the first player to score at least eight times in the competition without doing so in any other stadium.
Anfield future remains unresolved
Mac Allister joined Liverpool from Brighton in 2023 for €42 million and is contracted until 2028. His form is being enjoyed by Liverpool’s Spanish coach, Andoni Iraola, while Spanish opponents continue to pay the price.
The midfielder has spoken warmly of the work under Iraola and of the direction of the club.
“From my first day, I could see there was something special,” he said. “He is a good person, and so are the coaching staff. We are moving in the right direction, but we must work hard and give everything. Hopefully we can win some trophies.”
His longer-term position at Liverpool has nevertheless prompted discussion. Mac Allister recently expressed disappointment that a new agreement had not been reached, while noting that he had opportunities to leave during the summer and would give everything for as long as he remained at the club.
After the Villarreal match, he softened that stance. “What I said was more about my feelings,” he explained. “It is their decision, and that is fine. I am doing my best, and we will see what happens in the end.”
