Alexis Mac Allister’s heroics helped Liverpool secure all three points as the Reds came from behind to beat Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid 2-1 in their UEFA Champions League opener at Anfield.
The visitors made a positive start and took the lead in the 17th minute through Marcos Llorente.
However, Liverpool responded strongly and turned the game around through Dominik Szoboszlai and Mac Allister to begin their European campaign with a crucial victory.
Liverpool’s Comeback After Visitors Fire Early
From the first minute, Liverpool made it clear that they wanted to win. Alexander Isak and Bradley Barcola contributed to their early attacks. Nonetheless, Atletico managed to hit the Reds with a counter that resulted in an opening goal.
Julian Alvarez assisted Llorente, who finished with precision to give the advantage to the team from Spain. Interestingly, this was the fifth goal for Llorente scored against Liverpool in the Champions League.
Liverpool stayed sensible and came back into the game. Their efforts were rewarded in the 40th minute in the form of Szoboszlai equalizing the game.
Ronald Araujo executed a perfect flick inside the box for Szoboszlai to hit the ball behind Jan Oblak, making the score equal just before the end of the first half.
Five minutes into the second half, Mac Allister scored the winning goal with a powerful shot from outside the penalty area, beating Jan Oblak in the process.
Liverpool’s Tactical Awareness
Liverpool then had to withstand a spell of pressure from Atletico, particularly after Barcola was forced off during his first start for the club.
Alisson Becker remained composed in goal, while the Reds’ defence managed to keep Simeone’s side from finding a second equaliser.
The statistics also reflected Liverpool’s overall attacking advantage. The Reds registered 14 shots compared with Atletico’s nine, while their expected goals (xG) figure stood at 1.68 compared with 0.81 for the visitors.
Liverpool even thought they had added a third late on when Jeremie Frimpong found the net, but the Reds ultimately had to settle for a 2-1 victory.
The result is another positive for Liverpool giving them a winning start to the Champions League league phase. With this victory they are still unbeaten under their new manager Iraola.
For Atletico, it was another difficult night in England, with the defeat extending their winless Champions League run on English soil to 11 matches.