Liverpool 3 – 2 Atletico Madrid – Champions League Drama at Anfield | OneFootball

Van Dijk rises late as Anfield finds a way again

Virgil van Dijk delivered another moment for the scrapbook, climbing highest in added time to power in a superb header and give Liverpool a winning start to the Champions League. It was a goal that summed up the staples of this team under Arne Slot. Belief. Set piece precision. A refusal to accept anything less than victory. The captain read the flight of Dominik Szoboszlai’s corner and held off Robin Le Normand before steering a ruthless finish beyond Jan Oblak. Anfield erupted. So did the visiting bench for very different reasons.

Photo by IMAGO

How the drama unfolded

Liverpool had burst from the traps. Inside four minutes Mohamed Salah’s free kick cannoned off the wall and Andy Robertson, arriving from an artful starting position, diverted the ball past Oblak. There was little time for Atletico to reset before Salah doubled the advantage. The Egyptian glided in from the right, used Jeremie Frimpong’s run as a decoy, exchanged passes with Ryan Gravenberch and opened his body to guide a precise finish into the far corner. Clinical. Composed. Vintage.

Atletico did not fold. Marcos Llorente halved the deficit just before the interval, threading a toe poke through Ibrahima Konate’s legs after link play with Giacomo Raspadori. A check for offside interference against Antoine Griezmann went the visitors’ way. The warning was clear. A game that had seemed comfortable was anything but.

The second half became a test of nerve. Salah struck a post after a flowing move that involved Szoboszlai, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike. Szoboszlai whipped in a series of corners that teased a breakthrough. Yet Diego Simeone’s side carried a threat on transition and found parity when Llorente’s sweetly struck effort from the edge of the box clipped Alexis Mac Allister and looped beyond Alisson. The Kop grew restless. The away end found its voice. Liverpool had to go again.

They did. Conor Bradley kept pushing from right back, Wirtz showed flashes between the lines and Ekitike competed gamely after replacing Alexander Isak, who made his debut on a carefully managed outing. Chances came and went, with Oblak punching bravely and Konate heading wide. When Szoboszlai placed the ball for a late corner, the script felt familiar. Van Dijk attacked it, the net bulged, and Anfield moved as one.

Simeone incident on the touchline

The decisive goal was followed by ugly scenes near the technical area. Simeone became embroiled in a confrontation with home supporters behind the visiting dugout and was shown a red card amid a swirl of stewards and security. Atletico claimed provocation. Whatever the context, it was an unedifying coda to a gripping contest

Slot’s selection and early markers

On his 47th birthday, Slot named a starting side without an English player for the first time in the club’s long European history. It was a bold call that underscored the depth of options at his disposal and the faith he places in a cosmopolitan group. Salah set the tone with end product and menace, Szoboszlai’s delivery repeatedly stretched Atletico, and Gravenberch mixed energy with control. Wirtz found pockets of space and will only grow into this stage. Isak showed touches of class before making way, exactly the type of measured workload Slot had signalled in the build up.

Key moments

Tactical picture

Atletico began in a compact line of four across midfield and adjusted repeatedly. Simeone sought parity in wide areas by pushing his right side on to Andy Robertson and later increased protection by dropping into a back five out of possession. The shifts asked questions, particularly in the period before the second equaliser, but Liverpool’s response was to raise the tempo and play higher up the pitch. Szoboszlai’s set piece accuracy, coupled with the aerial presence of Van Dijk and Konate, eventually proved decisive.

Slot’s changes were timely. Frimpong’s introduction gave Liverpool direct running on the flank, Ekitike offered fresh legs to attack the near post, and Cody Gakpo added pressing from the left. The team kept the ball alive around the Atletico box and refused to let the visitors breathe.

Anfield’s voice and a moment of reflection

The atmosphere matched the occasion. There was a moving tribute in the twentieth minute as both sets of supporters joined in song for Diogo Jota. It was heartfelt and it mattered. The closing roar after the winner felt cathartic. This stadium still tilts the odds in the tense moments that decide European nights.

What it means

A winning start in the league phase carries weight in a group that offers precious little margin for error. The late surge continues a theme from the early weeks of the season and reinforces the authority of the captain. Liverpool will want more control than the second half provided, yet there was plenty to admire. Salah looked sharp, Szoboszlai’s set plays were a constant source of threat, and the bench made an impact. The new era in Europe has arrived with a statement.

The final word

Liverpool had to feel the jeopardy before they could savour the release. For long spells they looked slick and incisive, then they were dragged into a fight by an experienced opponent. In the second minute of added time their captain imposed his will once more. On nights like this, with the old stadium shaking, it is a familiar story. And one that never loses its thrill.