Virgil van Dijk struck a dramatic stoppage-time header to hand Liverpool a 3-2 win over Atlético Madrid in their opening Champions League fixture, rescuing Arne Slot’s side after Marcos Llorente’s brace had threatened to derail a perfect start.
Liverpool were two goals up inside the first six minutes thanks to Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah, but their defensive frailties resurfaced as Llorente dragged Atlético back into the contest with goals either side of the break. Just when a draw seemed inevitable, captain van Dijk rose highest in the 92nd minute to send Anfield into raptures.
Liverpool made history by racing into a two-goal lead faster than in any previous European tie. Robertson opened the scoring after just three minutes and 32 seconds, finishing Salah’s low cross via a deflection. Moments later, Salah added a sublime second, cutting inside on his left foot before firing beyond Jan Oblak.
The perfect start could have become more emphatic had referee Maurizio Mariani not awarded, and then overturned via VAR, what would have been one of the softest penalties in Champions League history after minimal contact on Jeremie Frimpong.
Despite Liverpool’s dominance, Diego Simeone’s side capitalised on defensive lapses. Deep into first-half stoppage time, Llorente ghosted into the box unmarked and poked past Alisson to halve the deficit.
The Spanish midfielder struck again nine minutes from time, volleying home to complete a comeback that silenced the Kop and seemed to have earned Atlético a valuable away point.
With Alexander Isak, Liverpool’s £120 million record signing, starting but failing to find the net on his debut before being replaced after 58 minutes, it was left to the veteran defender to provide the decisive contribution.
Van Dijk met a corner in added time with a towering header, restoring Liverpool’s lead and sealing a hard-fought win. Simeone’s frustrations boiled over in the closing moments, as the Atlético coach was dismissed with a red card following a clash near the touchline.
