Alexis Mac Allister strengthened his case for a new Liverpool contract by scoring the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Atletico Madrid on Wednesday. The result marked a successful Champions League debut for new Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola, despite the match being marred by a potential injury to marquee signing Bradley Barcola.
The visitors struck first through Marcos Llorente, who continued his impressive record at Anfield by scoring his fifth goal in three visits to the stadium. Llorente, who famously named his dog ‘Anfield’ after his brace in the 2020 last 16 tie, capitalized on a precise pass from Julian Alvarez to open the scoring. Alvarez, making his first start of the season, had been at the center of transfer speculation throughout the summer following a rejected move to Barcelona.
Liverpool responded before the interval when Dominik Szoboszlai leveled the score in the 40th minute. After a flick from Ronald Araujo kept a Liverpool attack alive, the Hungarian midfielder found the bottom corner. The equalizer followed a period of intense pressure, during which Barcola—making his Anfield debut alongside Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz—struggled to convert several opportunities against Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak.
The match featured a historic lineup for the Reds, as it was the first time three players costing over £100 million ($135 million) appeared in the same starting XI. Despite the attacking talent on display, Liverpool remained vulnerable to counter-attacks, with Alisson Becker forced into a brilliant save to deny an long-range effort from Alvarez.
Mac Allister, who had publicly expressed frustration on the eve of the match regarding his contract situation, settled the contest in the second half. The Argentine international fired a strike from outside the box with his weaker left foot, sparking wild celebrations in front of the Kop. His performance came as teammates Ryan Gravenberch and Szoboszlai have both secured new deals in recent months.
The victory was tempered by a calf injury to Barcola, who was forced off before the hour mark. Iraola will be hoping the setback is not serious, though he will be encouraged by his team’s improved defensive stability in the second half. Atletico, who entered the game following a 3-0 defeat to Athletic Bilbao, struggled to find a response, with Alvarez firing a late opportunity directly at Alisson.
Liverpool nearly extended their lead late in the game, but a last-ditch challenge from Robin Le Normand denied Isak a third goal. The win serves as a significant statement for Iraola, who successfully navigated his first Champions League test against Diego Simeone’s side. The report also notes that who could cost up to £123 million, failed to squeeze the ball past Jan Oblak with just the giant Slovenian to beat, the French winger. The report also notes that however, Liverpool kept the attack alive and Ronald Araujo’s flick teed up Szoboszlai to find the bottom corner on 40 minutes. The report also notes that again, though, the reprieve was brief for the visitors. The report also notes that alvarez fired too close to Alisson with one of the visitors’ few clear sights of goal.
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