Expected rookie Alexander Isak was deployed to start Liverpool's attack in place of Hugo Ekitike. Meanwhile, the two wings of The Kop are still the appearance of the familiar duo Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo.
With home advantage, Liverpool entered the match full of excitement. In the 4th minute, Salah's free kick hit Andy Robertson, accidentally changing direction, leaving goalkeeper Oblak completely helpless, opening the score 1-0 for The Kop.
Just 2 minutes later, Salah continued to shine. The Egyptian striker broke the wall to get along with Gravenberch, broke into the penalty area, passed 3 Atletico Madrid players before making a dangerous repair to the far corner, raising the score to 2-0 for the home team.
With an early advantage, the "Red Brigade" played comfortably and continuously created dangerous opportunities. However, waste prevented them from widening the gap.
The surprise came at the end of the first half, when Raspadori broke the offside trap and passed it back to Marcos Llorente with a delicate shot into the far corner, shortening the score to 1-2 for the Spanish representative.
In the second half, Liverpool proactively slowed down and chose counter-attacking play, but they still created many opportunities to widen the gap. In the 67th minute, Salah escaped down to face Oblak but his shot hit the post. Just 5 minutes later, both Ekitike (who came on as Isak) and Florian Wirtz missed good chances in the box.
The wastefulness cost the home team. In the 81st minute, from an Atletico attack, Llorente's volley hit Mac Allister's heels and changed direction, causing Alisson to hold his hand, equalizing 2-2 for the away team.
Not accepting to lose the victory at Anfield, Liverpool focused all their efforts on pressing the field in the final minutes. Their perseverance was rewarded in the 90+2 minute, when Dominik Szoboszlai's corner kick was fully utilized by Van Dijk with a powerful header, sealing a 3-2 victory for The Kop.
With 3 full points, the reigning Premier League champions have had a smooth start in the 2025-2026 Champions League, while continuing to show the courage to overcome difficulties at the right time.
