Villarreal midfielder Santi Comesana has pinpointed the Liverpool moment that "screwed" the Spanish team during its 4-3 defeat at Anfield in the Champions League

Villarreal midfielder Santi Comesana felt that conceding to a header from Alexis Mac Allister was the moment that "screwed" the La Liga outfit in its Champions League defeat to Liverpool.

Inigo Perez's side had gone 2-0 ahead but Mac Allister netted from a Kostas Tsimikas cross. Then, moments before half-time, Ronald Araujo headed home to ensure that Liverpool went into the break level.

"We started very well, going up 2-0 and sticking to the game plan," Comesana told Movistar. "The feeling was good, but we made mistakes with set pieces. I'm hurt and the team is screwed because we believe we have options for much more.

"That goal at the start of the second half made a difference. We have to learn from our mistakes and from set pieces."

He added that while Villarreal has been "competing" against all the teams that it faces, it needs to take "that extra step to get points" having played well so far this term without getting the rewards.

Having gone 2-0 down, Liverpool needed a turnaround to earn the victory, with Rio Ngumoha starring and Mac Allister scoring twice.

"Against Villarreal, they are so good on the ball," Andoni Iraola said in his post-match press conference. "If you see the stats, people probably don’t rate them, but after Barcelona they are the best in everything in La Liga.

"They have 61 per cent of possession; their xG is through the roof. Probably they haven’t had the results they deserve with their performances.

"So, if you are not really, really aggressive, you are not recovering the ball and until we didn’t match up properly and take a little bit more, risk if you want, we were struggling because it’s not a team that you can just press a little bit and [that is] enough.

"No, no, you go full gas and you go all the way or probably you are going to struggle without the ball.

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"It has cost us probably until we haven’t felt like under massive pressure, 2-0 down, and then, OK, we have nothing to lose and then we need to be without the handbrake.

"And from then I think we’ve been much better because we’ve won a lot of duels also. I think they are technically lovely players, but I think physically we’ve imposed our rhythm in the second half and I think it has been really difficult [for them] to cope with just the rhythm, yes."