Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid Review
Andoni Iraola’s debut UEFA Champions League match as a manager ended in a win, as Liverpool came from behind to defeat Atlético Madrid 2-1, maintaining the Reds’ unbeaten record in their home opening European Cup/UCL matches (11 wins, 2 draws). Isak missed narrowly just seconds after kickoff. The first fifteen minutes were open and exciting until Atlético surprised the home supporters by taking the lead. Julián Alvarez passed the ball to Marcos Llorente, who skillfully lifted a side-footed shot over Alisson Becker, scoring his fifth UCL goal at Anfield.
Liverpool’s high defensive line was being taken advantage of, and if not for a strong save by Alisson, Alvarez could have doubled Atlético’s lead following a quick counterattack. Although the Reds showed some worrying defensive mistakes, they still posed an attacking threat. Florian Wirtz challenged Jan Oblak with a close-range half-volley, though it was during an offside situation. This should have been a warning for the visitors, who soon found themselves equalized against. Bradley Barcola’s low shot was well saved by Oblak, but the danger wasn’t over.
Atlético Madrid couldn’t stop Ronald Araújo from skillfully flicking the ball to Dominik Szoboszlai, who gently scored the equalizer just before halftime. Having failed to keep a clean sheet in 17 of their last 18 Champions League matches, Los Rojiblancos had a tough task ahead if they wanted to secure all three points. However, their hopes of achieving a first-ever victory against an English team in the UCL group stage took a major hit shortly after the second half began.
Barcola had a chance to make it happen when he was one-on-one with Oblak but missed the target despite having a clear goal. Immediately after, the ball fell to Alexis Mac Allister, who powerfully shot from the edge of the box to score. The intensity of the first half naturally faded as the game progressed, and with Liverpool now in the lead, they were able to take control of the match. Los Colchoneros pushed hard for a late equalizer, but the Reds held firm. Despite a late goal by substitute Jeremie Frimpong being disallowed, Liverpool did enough to secure the win.
Diego Simeone’s 14th consecutive Champions League campaign as Atleti’s manager has gotten off to a rough start. Following last season’s 3-2 loss at Anfield, this marks the first time this century that the Madrid team has lost back-to-back Champions League openers (7 wins, 5 draws, 4 losses). On the other side, Iraola will be much happier, having overseen Liverpool’s 18th win out of their last 19 European group or league phase matches at Anfield (only 1 loss).
