(Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL – Tani Oluwaseyi walked onto the Anfield pitch at halftime with the score level and walked off it with a goal, a one-goal defeat and a match he expects to stay with him.
The Canada international came off the bench for Villarreal in Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League league-phase match against Liverpool and scored in the 87th minute to cut the deficit to 4-3. In the final minute, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk stepped in before Oluwaseyi could get a shot away, and the hosts held on for a third win in three Champions League matches this season.
In an exclusive post-match interview with RG, Oluwaseyi said the disappointment of the result outweighed the excitement of the night, and he compared the Champions League stage to representing Canada at this summer’s World Cup.
Seven Goals, One Late Push At Anfield
Villarreal built a two-goal lead inside the first half hour on a rainy night in Liverpool. Georges Mikautadze scored in the fourth minute and Sergi Cardona doubled the lead in the 29th, with fellow Canada international Nathan-Dylan Saliba setting up one of the goals. Alexis Mac Allister answered in the 36th minute, and Ronald Araujo headed in an equalizer in first-half stoppage time.
Villarreal replaced Saliba with Oluwaseyi at the break, while Liverpool sent on Florian Wirtz. Mac Allister scored his second of the night in the 65th minute and Wirtz made it 4-2 three minutes later. Ayoze Pérez hit the post for Villarreal, although the offside flag was already up, before Oluwaseyi volleyed in at the back post with three minutes left in regulation. It was his second goal in as many Champions League matches. Liverpool then saw out three minutes of stoppage time.
Oluwaseyi told RG the momentum swing before halftime did not change his approach when he entered.
“Yes, but the score was level at that point, and I definitely came on thinking that we could win the game,” Oluwaseyi said. “No matter how strong the opposition is or how the match is going, you always have to believe in your own strengths. Especially because we’d made a great start and had already scored twice by then.”
‘We Should Have Won This Game’
The 4-3 scoreline left Villarreal one goal short. Asked whether it was frustrating to lose such an open game after pulling his team within a goal, Oluwaseyi did not hesitate.
“Yes, absolutely. There’s a feeling of disappointment, and I think it’s probably stronger than the satisfaction of having played such an exciting game,” he said. “You know, it’s genuinely a shame that, after playing so well against a team like Liverpool in this great stadium, we still couldn’t get the win here. We should have won this game.”
He also pointed to his own side’s role in the result. “But maybe we need to be a little more critical of ourselves, because when you’re two goals down, it’s very difficult to come back,” Oluwaseyi said. “On the other hand, Liverpool came back from 2-0 down. And we could have come back from 4-2 down, too.”
That thought crossed his mind the moment his shot went in, he said. “When I scored and the score became 4-3, I thought about that,” Oluwaseyi said. “I’ll probably remember this game for a long time — maybe forever!”
Asked to name the one feeling he will carry from the night above all others, he pointed to the quality on both sides. “The feeling that we played good football — and so did our opponents,” he said.
From The World Cup To The Champions League
Oluwaseyi is one of several Canada internationals at Villarreal, alongside Saliba and winger Tajon Buchanan. His club season follows a summer in which Canada co-hosted the 2026 World Cup, along with recent friendlies against the United States and South American opposition.
He told RG the long flights and packed schedule that come with international duty are part of an experience he values.
“Yes, first of all, it’s a special additional experience — something new and different from playing for your club — and it helps me develop and build my career,” Oluwaseyi said. “And playing at the World Cup is absolutely priceless. Of course, the Champions League is also played at the highest level, with an unforgettable atmosphere, just like the one here at Anfield today.”
He added that he wants to succeed with both club and country. “But you always want to succeed in every aspect of your career,” he said. “And it’s great that I can play for Canada and work towards achieving my goals there, too.”
Liverpool moved to nine points from three league-phase matches with the win. Fans following Oluwaseyi, Villarreal and the rest of the Canadian contingent in Europe can track the latest sports betting odds and compare soccer betting sites ahead of the next round of Champions League fixtures.