Virgil van Dijk scored a stoppage-time winner as Liverpool overcame an Atletico Madrid comeback to win 3-2 at Anfield.
Incredibly, Arne Slot’s side have now scored the winning goal in the 83rd minute or later in each of their last five games in this remarkable start to the season. A frustrated Diego Simeone was sent off by the referee in the aftermath, having been insulted by a supporter.
With all eyes on Alexander Isak, making his Liverpool debut, it was an Anfield veteran making his own first start of the season who opened the scoring. Not that he knew much about it, Andy Robertson deflecting Mohamed Salah’s early free-kick into the net.
Salah had his own goal shortly afterwards to put Liverpool two up inside six minutes, leaving Simeone raging on the touchline and the supporters settling down to watch some encouraging combination play by Isak and fellow new boy Florian Wirtz.
But Marcos Llorente’s toe-poked finish in first-half stoppage-time put the result back in the balance to give Atletico hope and they stayed in the game until late even as Salah struck the inside of the post after good work by Wirtz. Atleti’s resilience was rewarded.
Llorente’s deflected leveller brought back memories of his two goals in extra time that knocked the Reds out of this competition in 2020. That one ended 3-2 to the Spanish side but this Liverpool have developed an extraordinary knack of having the final say.
Against Bournemouth it was Federico Chiesa. At Newcastle it was Rio Ngumoha. Dominik Szoboszlai did for Arsenal, Salah’s penalty saw off Burnley. Add Van Dijk to the list. Five wins in a row and a dramatic start to Liverpool’s Champions League campaign.
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Clinton Morrison stopped Sky Sports News going to an ad break as Liverpool snatch a late winner against Atletico Madrid!
The Liverpool late show…
Arne Slot’s side love a late winner!
- Goals in the 88th and 94th minutes to beat Bournemouth
- A 90+10 winner to seal all three points at Newcastle
- Dominik Szoboszlai’s wonder free kick in the 83rd minute to beat Arsenal
- A 90+5 penalty from Mo Salah to seal victory at Burnley
- And finally, Virgil van Dijk’s 90+2 header to secure an opening win in the Champions League
Slot: Positively surprised by Isak
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot speaking about Alexander Isak in the press conference:
“I was positively surprised by how fit he was during the 60 minutes. That showed it might be different to sign a 20 year old from a different league compared to a 25 year old who is used to it.
“I was positively surprised by how fit he was. I was not surprised by the quality but it is always nice to see when a player starts how he started. Good start. Only 60 minutes. You can tell David [Moyes] he is not going to play 90 minutes [against Everton].”
Liverpool’s Alexander Isak in possession against Atletico Madrid at Anfield
Alexander Isak’s touch map in Liverpool’s win over Atletico Madrid
Player of the match: Virgil van Dijk
Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher speaking on CBS about Virgil van Dijk:
“I don’t like describing Van Dijk as the best centre back. At Liverpool, a lot of people get called legends because they’ve won the league or the Champions League. There are lots of them.
“But if you want to differentiate, and I call them giants of the club like Gerrard, Dalglish, Hansen, Barnes, Souness and Salah, the top seven or eight players at Liverpool, he is right in the middle of that.
“He’s not at the bottom of the list I can assure you. He will go down as one of the greatest players to ever play for Liverpool. Not one of the greatest centre backs, one of the greatest players.”
Simeone: He insulted me
Simeone’s red card came as a result of a heated exchange with a supporter behind the Atletico dugout. Stewards had to intervene in the flashpoint before Simeone was sent off by referee Maurizio Mariani.
“When they scored the third goal he turned around and insulted me. I’m a person, I’m human.” Asked to clarify what happened in the press conference, he declined.
“I am not really going to get into the exact nature of the insults. I don’t want to get into that discussion. I know what went on behind the manager’s bench. I cannot solve society’s problems in one press conference. I have to live with it because it happens all the time.”
UEFA will await the referee’s report before deciding on any possible sanctions following Simeone’s red card.
