Virgil van Dijk heads late winner in thriller against Atletico | OneFootball

Liverpool launched their Champions League campaign in thrilling fashion, edging past Atletico Madrid 3–2 at Anfield thanks to a stoppage-time header from captain Virgil Van Dijk.

The night began at a frantic pace, with Mohamed Salah at the heart of it. Inside four minutes his free-kick deflected off Andy Robertson and beyond Jan Oblak, before the Egyptian doubled the lead just two minutes later with a slick finish after combining neatly with Ryan Gravenberch.

Atletico looked rattled early on but found a way back into the contest just before the interval. Marcos Llorente, so often Liverpool’s tormentor in this competition, squeezed a shot under Alisson to halve the deficit.

The Reds might have restored their cushion after the break but Salah clipped the post in front of the Kop. Instead, it was Llorente again who struck, his volley taking a nick off Alexis Mac Allister before beating Alisson with nine minutes left.

Anfield braced for frustration, but as they have already shown in the league this season, Liverpool had one more twist in them.

Deep into added time, Van Dijk rose highest from a corner and powered his header past Oblak to spark wild celebrations on the Kop.

The drama didn’t stop there as Atletico boss Diego Simeone was sent off in the aftermath following a touchline clash with home supporters.