A last-gasp header from captain Virgil van Dijk ensured the Liverpool Atletico Madrid result was a dramatic 3-2 victory for the hosts in their Champions League opener at Anfield.
Despite expectations of a tough encounter, Liverpool produced an early blitz, going 2-0 up inside the first six minutes thanks to two goals involving Mohamed Salah. The first was a deflected free-kick, while the second was a brilliant solo effort after combining with Ryan Gravenberch.
However, the spirited visitors did not fold. Diego Simeone’s side grew into the contest and got a goal back before halftime through Marcos Llorente, although there was a hint of an overlooked offside in the build-up.
After a tense second half where Salah struck the post, Llorente stunned Anfield with ten minutes remaining, levelling the match with an excellent finish from distance to repeat his heroics from 2020. But Liverpool’s penchant for late drama emerged once more. In stoppage time, Van Dijk rose highest to powerfully head home a Dominik Szoboszlai corner, securing a crucial three points for the Reds to kick off their European campaign.