Iraola: Liverpool ready to push on in Champions League

Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola has called on his players and supporters to maintain their momentum as the club begins a run of four consecutive home matches, starting with Tuesday's Champions League fixture against Villarreal at Anfield.

The Reds arrive into the game on the back of back-to-back away victories against LASK in Austria and Brentford in the Premier League, picking up wins in two different competitions within the space of a week.

"It is really good to be back at Anfield after a week of travel to Linz and Brentford, especially as we have returned from those back-to-back trips with important victories in two different competitions," Iraola wrote in his matchday programme notes.

Iraola acknowledged the congested schedule but stressed the squad must adapt. "This isn't to complain, it is just the way it is right now. Our job is to deal with this reality as best we possibly can and this means every one of us has to play our part if we want to get positive results."

The manager praised the character shown at Brentford, where Liverpool overcame a series of setbacks including conceding the first goal and having a penalty overturned. However, the win came at a cost, with Jeremie Frimpong and Dominik Szoboszlai both picking up injuries.

Iraola highlighted the threat posed by Villarreal, who qualified for the Champions League by finishing third in La Liga — one place ahead of Atletico Madrid — and beat Napoli in their previous group fixture.

The head coach also paid tribute to travelling supporters, singling out the away ends at both LASK and Brentford. "The away ends we had against LASK and Brentford made a real positive difference to us so I would like to thank every Liverpool supporter who made these trips and helped us to take maximum points."

Following the Villarreal game, Liverpool face Brighton, Chelsea and Arsenal in successive home matches across the Premier League and Carabao Cup.