Liverpool opened their Champions League campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Atletico Madrid at Anfield, with Alexis Mac Allister producing the decisive moment in front of the Kop.
The Argentine midfielder struck emphatically from outside the penalty area after Dominik Szoboszlai had cancelled out Marcos Llorente’s opener, giving Andoni Iraola his first home victory as Liverpool manager and his first win in the Champions League.
It was not always comfortable, and Liverpool once again found themselves having to respond after conceding first, but Mac Allister’s quality ultimately made the difference on another European night at Anfield.
Mac Allister Answers the Headlines on the Pitch
Much of the build-up to the game had centred around Mac Allister following his press conference on Tuesday.
The 27-year-old admitted he was “sad” that Liverpool had not offered him a new contract during the summer, despite his current deal running until 2028. It inevitably created plenty of discussion ahead of the match, but Mac Allister responded in exactly the manner Liverpool would have wanted.
With the scores level early in the second half, the midfielder reacted quickest to a loose ball outside the Atletico penalty area before unleashing a superb left-footed effort beyond Jan Oblak.
It was a strike worthy of winning any Champions League game.
There was power, accuracy and conviction in the finish, with Oblak given virtually no chance as the ball flew into the net.
For a player who had been the centre of attention before kick-off, it was some way to make sure the conversation afterwards was about his football.
Liverpool Forced to Come From Behind Again
Liverpool remain unbeaten under Iraola after four competitive matches, with two draws and a victory in the Premier League now followed by three points in Europe.
There is, however, already a pattern emerging.
For the third time in four matches, Liverpool conceded the opening goal.
Atletico took advantage when Milos Kerkez failed to follow Llorente’s run, allowing the Spaniard to latch onto Julian Alvarez’s pass and finish beyond Alisson.
Llorente scoring at Anfield is becoming something of a bizarre Champions League tradition.
He famously scored twice at the stadium in 2020 as Diego Simeone’s Atletico eliminated Liverpool from the competition, with Llorente later naming his dog “Anfield” after that night.
Remarkably, five of his 10 Champions League goals have now come at Liverpool’s home ground.
That statistic will do little to improve his popularity on Merseyside.
Szoboszlai Gets Liverpool Back Into the Game
Liverpool’s response before half-time was important.
Atletico had threatened to make things even more difficult, with Alisson producing a good save from Alvarez’s long-range attempt.
The Brazilian’s intervention kept Liverpool within touching distance before Iraola’s side found their equaliser.
Kerkez, who had been at fault for the opening goal, responded positively by winning possession back before Ronald Araujo produced an intelligent back-heel to create the opportunity.
Szoboszlai did the rest.
The Hungarian finished calmly to bring Liverpool level and change the mood inside Anfield heading into the interval.
It was a particularly important moment because Liverpool had not been able to completely impose themselves on Atletico during the opening period.
Going into half-time at 1-1 gave them the opportunity to reset rather than chase the game from behind.
Barcola Misses Big Chance Before Mac Allister Strikes
Bradley Barcola was handed his first Liverpool start following his £123 million summer move from Paris Saint-Germain, and he should probably have marked the occasion with a goal shortly after the restart.
The French winger was presented with an excellent opportunity but dragged his effort wide.
It looked like the sort of chance Liverpool might regret.
They did not have long to think about it.
Barely a minute later, Mac Allister collected the loose ball outside the Atletico penalty area and drove his shot beyond Oblak to complete Liverpool’s turnaround.
Suddenly, Anfield was alive.
Liverpool had gone from potentially falling behind again to leading 2-1 in the space of a couple of minutes.
That is the difference elite players can make in Champions League matches.
Concern for Bradley Barcola
There was one worrying moment for Liverpool after taking the lead.
Barcola went down without any obvious contact and was unable to continue, with the winger replaced around the hour mark.
Given the size of Liverpool’s investment in the 23-year-old, Iraola will be hoping the issue is nothing serious.
His first start had been encouraging despite the missed opportunity, and Liverpool will want him available as quickly as possible as the fixture schedule begins to intensify.
Iraola Gets His First Anfield Win
The closing stages were not entirely comfortable, but Liverpool managed the game well enough to protect their advantage and secure three important Champions League points.
There are still obvious areas for Iraola to address.
Liverpool cannot continually expect to concede first and recover, particularly against the strongest sides in Europe. Atletico demonstrated how quickly a small defensive lapse can be punished at this level.
But there were also plenty of positives.
Kerkez recovered from his mistake to play an important role in the equaliser. Araujo contributed with an inventive assist. Szoboszlai again showed his attacking value, while Mac Allister delivered the decisive piece of quality.
Most importantly, Liverpool found a way to win.
European football is rarely about producing perfect performances every week. Sometimes it is about navigating difficult moments, responding to setbacks and having players capable of deciding matches.
Liverpool had exactly that on Wednesday night.
Mac Allister entered the game with questions surrounding his future.
He left it having delivered the moment that won Liverpool their opening Champions League fixture.
Liverpool now turn their attention back to domestic action before travelling to face LASK in their next Champions League fixture on 14 October.
