Liverpool vs Villarreal: Champions League Kickoff Time, Team News and How to Watch

Updated October 20, 2026, with Liverpool’s latest pre-match team news. Liverpool host Villarreal at Anfield on Tuesday, October 20, in UEFA Champions League league-phase Matchday 3. The confirmed kickoff is 8:00 p.m. in Liverpool, BST (UTC+01:00), or 19:00 UTC on the same date. Liverpool’s latest team report confirms that Jeremie Frimpong and Dominik Szoboszlai will miss the match. It also says Villarreal forward Tajon Buchanan returned to training on Monday after a hamstring injury; that update does not confirm he is available to play. UEFA’s predicted lineups are forecasts, and the official starting XIs have not been announced at the time of this update.

Kickoff time and match details

UEFA’s 2026/27 league-phase schedule lists Liverpool vs Villarreal on Matchday 3. UEFA’s fixture page gives its default kickoff as 21:00 and labels the schedule times CET. For this match’s date, the UK is still on British Summer Time: clocks do not go back until Sunday, October 25, 2026. That makes the Anfield time 8:00 p.m. BST (UTC+01:00), which is 19:00 UTC. Central Europe also remains on summer time until October 25, so the corresponding time there is 9:00 p.m. CEST (UTC+02:00). The standard-time label in UEFA’s schedule should not be read as the UK’s local time.

The current UEFA schedule and Liverpool’s matchday guide still place the fixture at Anfield on Tuesday, October 20. Check those official pages before traveling in case a later matchday notice changes access or event details.

Where is Liverpool vs Villarreal being played?

Liverpool are the home team at Anfield in Liverpool. UEFA identifies the fixture as match 2049590, and Liverpool’s official match information names Anfield as the venue. This is a single league-phase game, rather than a two-leg knockout tie. The result will count toward both clubs’ league-phase records.

Supporters attending should follow the instructions on their tickets and Liverpool FC’s current matchday guidance for stadium entry, travel, and access arrangements. Use the official match pages for late notices instead of relying on a calendar screenshot or a listing that does not state its time zone.

What is the latest team news?

Liverpool’s pre-match update confirms that Frimpong and Szoboszlai are unavailable after both were forced off during the 2–1 win at Brentford on October 17. Manager Andoni Iraola said Frimpong sustained a new muscle injury shortly after coming on and that it would be difficult for him to return before the November international break. Szoboszlai’s issue is a recurrence in the same area as the previous week; Iraola said it had not worsened, but the midfielder needs more time to recover fully.

The club says Conor Bradley, Hugo Ekitike, and Giovanni Leoni also remain sidelined. UEFA’s Matchday 3 team-news report lists the same five Liverpool players as out and names no doubtful Liverpool players. Its projected Liverpool lineup is Alisson Becker; Araújo, Jacquet, Van Dijk, and Kerkez; Gravenberch and Mac Allister; Barcola, Wirtz, and Gakpo; and Isak. Treat that as UEFA’s forecast, not a confirmed starting XI.

For Villarreal, UEFA lists Nicolas Pépé as out with an eye issue and Buchanan as doubtful with a hamstring problem. Liverpool’s newer pre-match report adds that Buchanan returned to training on Monday, October 19, after missing Villarreal’s previous three matches. Training again is a positive update, but it does not establish that he has been cleared or selected; check the confirmed lineup before kickoff. Liverpool’s report also says Pépé had missed the team’s previous three games with the eye issue. UEFA’s projected Villarreal XI is Gulácsi; Mouriño, Pau Navarro, Renato Veiga, and Carlos Romero; Santi Comesaña, Saliba, Gueye, and Alberto Moleiro; Gerard Moreno and Mikautadze. Those names are also a forecast, not a final team sheet. UEFA’s Matchday 3 report does not name a suspended player in either club’s section.

Liverpool says its official Match Centre will carry confirmed team news from 4:00 p.m. BST (15:00 UTC) on Tuesday, October 20. That is the best place to check whether the predicted lineups have changed and to see the official starting XIs once released.

Who is refereeing the match?

Liverpool FC’s match-officials notice names Poland’s Szymon Marciniak as referee. Tomasz Listkiewicz and Adam Kupsik are the assistant referees, Wojciech Myc is the fourth official, Piotr Lasyk is the video assistant referee, and Benjamin Brand is the assistant VAR. Check UEFA’s match information for any later officiating change.

How can you watch or follow the game?

In the United Kingdom, Liverpool FC says the match will be broadcast live on Amazon Prime Video. Broadcast rights differ by country, so viewers elsewhere should use UEFA’s official broadcast-partner directory and confirm the fixture on the local broadcaster’s schedule. The UK option should not be assumed to apply in another territory.

Liverpool FC’s Match Centre and app are scheduled to provide live build-up and confirmed team news from 4:00 p.m. BST (15:00 UTC) on Tuesday, October 20. On Tuesday, October 20, Matchday Live on LFCTV is scheduled to start at 6:45 p.m. BST (UTC+01:00; 17:45 UTC), with build-up, live audio commentary, and post-match reaction. The club also offers free live audio commentary through its website, app, and Match Centre. The club also lists extended highlights and a full replay for All Red Full members and All Red Video subscribers through All Red Video.

For scores, statistics, standings, and official lineup announcements, use UEFA’s match center for fixture 2049590. It is also the authoritative place to recheck event information.

How have the teams started the league phase?

Liverpool won their first two Champions League matches. They beat Atlético de Madrid 2–1 at Anfield on September 9, then won 6–3 away to LASK on October 14. Those results give Liverpool six points before Matchday 3.

Villarreal lost 3–2 away to Borussia Dortmund in their opening league-phase match and followed it with a 3–1 home win over Napoli on October 13. They enter the Anfield fixture with three points. Villarreal then drew 0–0 with Elche on October 17 in their latest match, according to Liverpool’s pre-match team report. League-phase results describe each club’s position going into this game; they do not determine its outcome.

Liverpool FC’s pre-match history article notes four previous European meetings, all in semifinal ties: Liverpool and Villarreal met in the 2015/16 Europa League and 2021/22 Champions League semifinals. Those past ties add context, while this match is a standalone league-phase fixture with points at stake.

What should supporters check before kickoff?

• Use Tuesday, October 20, 8:00 p.m. Liverpool time, BST (UTC+01:00), or 19:00 UTC.
• Read UEFA’s projected lineups as a forecast; they are not the official starting XIs.
• Note Liverpool’s confirmed absences and Buchanan’s return to training, while waiting for Villarreal’s final availability and the confirmed lineup.
• Check UEFA’s match center and Liverpool’s Match Centre for team sheets, live updates, and any late changes.
• For viewing, check UEFA’s territory-specific broadcast list and confirm the local channel or stream with that broadcaster.

For the schedule and match details, consult UEFA’s 2026/27 league-phase schedule and match center. For the latest injuries, see UEFA’s Matchday 3 predicted lineups and team news and Liverpool’s pre-match team update. Liverpool’s watch-and-follow guide, official match-officials notice, UEFA’s broadcast-partner directory, and the UK government’s clock-change calendar support the viewing and time-zone information in this preview.