Arne Slot named Liverpool’s first lineup for a European match to not feature an Englishman, but did include debutant Alexander Isak.
They began in rampant fashion here with two goals in the opening six minutes, and it was a Scotsman who provided Liverpool’s opener. Mohamed Salah’s free-kick hit Andy Robertson before beating Jan Oblak, as the full-back claimed his first European goal in almost six years.
While there may have been an element of fortune about that first goal, the same could not be said about the second, as Salah netted his 250th English club goal with a trademark run and finish. He effortlessly weaved his way through the Atletico defence after a give-and-go with Ryan Gravenberch, and dispatched a sublime strike past Oblak to leave the away side shell-shocked.
The Reds were then presented with a chance to add a third when referee Maurizio Mariani inexplicably pointed to the spot, penalising Clement Lenglet for handball in his attempts to block Jeremie Frimpong’s cross. Fortunately for the visitors, a swift VAR review overturned the penalty award.
Isak missed two chances to extend Liverpool’s lead in open play, and Atleti duly halved the deficit seconds before half-time thanks to a fine finish by Marcos Llorente, exposing the hosts’ defensive vulnerabilities.
Those Liverpool fans packed inside Anfield may have been fearing deja vu, with Atletico the last team to beat their side when they were leading at half-time, back in March 2020.
Giacomo Raspadori looked to heighten those concerns as his angled shot was kept out by Alisson, and Diego Simeone’s side had growing belief of a comeback.
Salah had a chance to extinguish any hope of that following a rapid counter-attack, but his shot cannoned off the post.
Salah was the architect of everything positive going forward, but Simeone’s side still carried a significant threat of their own. Llorente’s looping effort sailed just over the target, and served as a reminder that this match was still very much in the balance.
Slot’s side failed to heed the warning signs, and Llorente punished them, restoring parity with a volley which took a huge deflection off Robertson, sparking wild celebrations on the touchline.
That looked as though it would be enough to secure a point for the Mattress Makers, but Van Dijk had other ideas, heading home Dominik Szoboszlai’s corner in front of the Kop to spark delirium in the stands, and bedlam on the touchline as a furious Simeone was sent off.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Click here to see all the match stats
