Mac Allister grabs winner as Liverpool fightback to beat Atletico Madrid

League Phase

Liverpool 2-1 Atletico Madrid 

Alexis Mac Allister scored an emphatic winner as Liverpool began their Champions League campaign with a win over Atletico Madrid at Anfield.

Dominik Szoboszlai levelled for Liverpool after Marcos Llorente had initially given Atletico the lead before Mac Allister fired in from outside the box to give Andoni Iraola his first win at home for Liverpool and his first Champions League victory as manager.

Mac Allister had dominated the pre-match headlines after his candid press conference on Tuesday, in which the Argentinian said he was “sad” that Liverpool did not offer him a new contract over the summer. But the 27-year-old, who is contracted at Anfield until 2028, did his talking on the pitch on Wednesday with a superb left-footed strike that gave Jan Oblak no chance.

With two draws and a win in the Premier League, Liverpool remain unbeaten under Iraola but for the third time in four games, they conceded first. Milos Kerkez failed to track Llorente, who got on the end of Julian Alvarez’s ball and finished past Alisson to score at Anfield again.

Llorente named his dog “Anfield” after scoring twice against Liverpool in 2020 when Diego Simeone’s side knocked them out of the Champions League. Of Llorente’s 10 Champions League goals, five have now remarkably come at Liverpool’s Merseyside home.

Alisson did well to deny Alvarez – who was making his first Atletico start of the season after failing to get his desired move to Barcelona – from distance and Liverpool levelled before the break after Kerkez did brilliantly to win the ball back and Ronald Araujo played a smart back-heel to tee up Szobozlai, who finished well.

Shortly after half-time, Bradley Barcola – making his first Liverpool start since his £123m move from Paris St-Germain – missed a glorious opportunity when he fired wide but a minute later, Mac Allister got the winner when he got on the end of a loose ball and rifled home in front of the Kop.

There was a slight scare for Liverpool when Barcola went down with cramp and the Frenchman had to be replaced on the hour mark but Iraola’s side held on for a crucial three points.

Liverpool’s next game in the Champions League is away to LASK on October 14.