Liverpool fight back to defeat Atletico Madrid

Liverpool produced a spirited comeback at Anfield to defeat Atletico Madrid 2-1 in their Champions League opener, giving new head coach Andoni Iraola a winning start to his first European campaign with the club.

Alexis Mac Allister delivered the decisive moment, scoring from outside the penalty area to complete Liverpool's turnaround and provide a timely response after expressing frustration that he had not been offered a new contract.

Atletico took an early lead through Marcos Llorente, but Liverpool responded before half-time when Dominik Szoboszlai found the bottom corner to level the contest.

Mac Allister then struck in the second half, firing a powerful left-footed effort from the edge of the area beyond goalkeeper Jan Oblak to send the home crowd into celebration.

The victory was tempered by an injury concern for new signing Bradley Barcola, who was forced from the field before the hour mark after appearing to suffer a calf problem.

Barcola made his Anfield debut as part of an eye-catching Liverpool attack that also included fellow big-money signings Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz. It was the first time the club had fielded three players who each cost more than £100 million ($135 million).

Liverpool began brightly, with Isak going close after Szoboszlai launched a dangerous attack. However, their attacking approach also left opportunities for Atletico to exploit on the counter.

Diego Simeone's side arrived at Anfield looking to recover from a difficult start to the season. Atletico had suffered a 3-0 defeat against Athletic Bilbao at the weekend, while questions surrounding the future of Argentina forward Julian Alvarez had added further uncertainty.

Alvarez was handed his first start of the season and immediately made an impact, creating the opening goal with a well-weighted pass for Llorente.

The Atletico midfielder raced onto the delivery and finished clinically to score his fifth goal in three appearances at Anfield. Llorente had previously named his dog Anfield after scoring twice during Atletico's Champions League victory over Liverpool in 2020.

Liverpool almost equalised through Barcola, but the French winger was unable to beat Oblak from close range.

Atletico goalkeeper Oblak then produced an excellent save to deny Alvarez from distance before Liverpool eventually found their breakthrough.

In the 40th minute, Ronald Araujo's flick fell into the path of Szoboszlai, who calmly placed his shot into the bottom corner to make it 1-1.

Barcola had another opportunity early in the second half after being released by Wirtz, but his effort drifted wide.

Liverpool continued to press, and their persistence was rewarded when Mac Allister produced the moment that decided the match.

The Argentina international, who had been linked with Atletico during the transfer window, collected the ball outside the penalty area before cutting a powerful shot into the net with his weaker left foot.

Mac Allister celebrated passionately in front of the Kop, underlining the significance of the goal following his recent comments about his contract situation.

Liverpool were unable to enjoy a completely comfortable finish, however, with Barcola subsequently pulling up and clutching his calf.

Iraola will hope the injury is not serious as Liverpool prepare for a demanding schedule of domestic and European fixtures.

The Reds defended strongly during the closing stages, limiting Atletico's opportunities. Alvarez had one late chance but shot directly at Alisson Becker, while Robin Le Normand produced a last-ditch challenge to prevent Isak from adding a third.

Szoboszlai was named player of the match after an influential performance and said Liverpool had been involved in an extremely even contest.

The victory gives Iraola an important early statement win and provides Liverpool with a valuable three points from their opening Champions League fixture.