Virgil van Dijk scored a stoppage-time winner as Liverpool secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over Atletico Madrid in their Champions League opener at Anfield.
Remarkably, Arne Slot’s side have now netted decisive goals in the 83rd minute or later in each of their last five games, extending their remarkable start to the season. The frustration boiled over for Atletico boss Diego Simeone, who was sent off in stoppage time after clashing with fans behind his technical area.
Liverpool stormed into an early 2-0 lead, with Mohamed Salah at the heart of both goals. His fourth-minute free-kick deflected off Andrew Robertson to wrong-foot Jan Oblak, before he combined with Ryan Gravenberch to slot home a composed finish just two minutes later.
Atletico halved the deficit before the break when Marcos Llorente poked the ball under Alisson. New £125m signing Alexander Isak made his long-awaited debut but was withdrawn in 58 minutes after a tiring shift, moments before Salah struck the post in front of the Kop.
Nine minutes from time, Llorente struck again, his volley taking a wicked deflection off Alexis Mac Alliste, sparking memories of his 2020 brace at Anfield. But just when Atletico looked set to claim a point, Van Dijk powered home a corner in stoppage time to send the Kop wild.
Liverpool’s dramatic late show keeps their perfect start alive, while Atletico left Anfield ruing missed chances and their manager’s red card.
