Anfield witnessed a gripping European night on Wednesday as Liverpool came from behind to beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 in their opening Champions League fixture, with Alexis Mac Allister settling the contest with a thunderous strike that doubled as the perfect response to his own contract frustrations.
It was Andoni Iraola’s first Champions League match in charge of Liverpool, and Atletico wasted little time reminding everyone why European nights rarely go to plan.
Julian Alvarez, handed his first start of the season, sliced through Liverpool’s back line with a defense-splitting pass, and Marcos Llorente raced clear to fire the visitors in front in the 19th minute. It was Llorente’s fifth goal in just three visits to Anfield, a record that clearly suits the Spaniard whenever he returns to Merseyside.
Liverpool had actually started the brighter side, with Alexander Isak firing narrowly wide early on after Dominik Szoboszlai had driven forward with intent. But the hosts were made to pay for leaving gaps at the back, and for a spell it looked as though Diego Simeone’s well-organised Atletico side might spring a genuine European shock.
The response, though, was emphatic. Szoboszlai leveled the score just before the break, latching onto a pass from Ronald Araujo to beat the Atletico goalkeeper and send Anfield into a frenzy heading into half-time at 1-1.
Five minutes into the second half, the game turned decisively in Liverpool’s favor. Alexis Mac Allister, who had spoken openly about his frustration over not being offered a new contract on the eve of the match, picked up possession on the edge of the box and blasted a rocket of a finish into the net to make it 2-1. It was a goal that carried extra weight given the circumstances, and one that instantly became the moment of the night.
Liverpool held firm from there, seeing out a hard-fought victory despite mounting pressure from an Atletico side desperate to salvage something from the trip.
The win did come at a cost, however, as new signing Bradley Barcola, making his first Liverpool start on the right wing, was forced off with a calf injury that will be monitored ahead of the club’s next fixtures.
For Atletico, the defeat continues a difficult start to the campaign. Simeone’s side were thrashed 3-0 by Athletic Bilbao at the weekend, and questions continue to swirl around the club following Julian Alvarez’s failed push for a move to Barcelona over the summer. Despite the result, Alvarez looked lively on his first start of the season and was directly involved in the opening goal.
For Liverpool, this was exactly the kind of statement result Iraola will have wanted to open his maiden Champions League campaign as manager. Coming from behind against a battle-hardened Atletico side, in front of a raucous Anfield crowd, sends a clear message to the rest of the competition that Liverpool intend to be serious contenders this season.
With Mac Allister now firmly making his case for a new deal through his performances rather than words, and young talents like Szoboszlai and Isak continuing to impress, Liverpool will carry plenty of confidence into their next European test as the race for Champions League glory begins to take shape.
Manof the Match: Szoboszlai
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