Liverpool left it late yet again as Virgil van Dijk’s added-time winner secured all three points in their UEFA Champions League season opener versus Atlético Madrid.
Virgil van Dijk scored a dramatic late winner in an entertaining match at Anfield, as Liverpool defeated Atlético Madrid 3-2 at Anfield on Matchday 1 of the UEFA Champions League.
All five of Liverpool’s competitive games this season have now seen them secure a win with a goal in the final 10 minutes of the match.
Liverpool yet again displayed some fragility at the back, as they allowed Atlético to come back into the game and almost take a point back to Spain. But having already got away with losing two-goal leads against both Bournemouth and Newcastle in the Premier League already this season, it happened yet again with the 92nd minute goal from their captain.
Arne Slot’s side raced into a two-goal lead inside just six minutes thanks to goals via Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah, but Marcos Llorente’s brace drew them level before Van Dijk stole the points for Liverpool at the last.
The Dutch manager named a starting XI without an English player – the first time in Liverpool’s history that they haven’t named a single Englishman in their starting lineup for a major European fixture, with tonight their 418th overall.
With Conor Gallagher starting for Atlético, this was the first time since March 2006 that a UCL game involving an English side has seen only their opponents have an English starter – back then it was David Beckham for Real Madrid versus Arsenal
Atlético goalkeeper Jan Oblak made his 500th competitive appearance for the Spanish club, becoming just the third player in their history to reach the landmark. He didn’t have much time to celebrate the occasion, with Liverpool scoring two goals inside the opening six minutes.
First, Salah’s free-kick into a crowded area in the box saw the ball cannon off Robertson’s legs and into the back of the net.
Salah then got on the scoresheet himself just two minutes later, barging his way into the area past the Atlético defenders before slotting the ball low past Oblak to double the Reds’ lead and score his 48th goal in the competition.
It was the first time in the Diego Simeone era, since December 2011, that Atlético had conceded twice inside the opening six minutes of a competitive game.
Atlético gradually got back into the game and equalised in first-half added time. Llorente’s run into the Liverpool penalty area was spotted by Giacomo Raspadori and the experienced right-back prodded the ball past Alisson to give the Spanish side a lifeline going into half-time.
Alexander Isak made his Liverpool debut following his record British transfer from Newcastle, lasting 57 minutes before being taken off by Slot. He was unable to become the ninth different player to score on their Liverpool debut in the UCL but showed glimpses of why he’ll be such an asset to the Reds.
The last time that Liverpool lost a competitive home game that they were leading at half-time came against Atletico Madrid (3-2) back in March 2020, going unbeaten in 68 such games since then before tonight.
Llorente scored two of his side’s goals that night and his second goal in this game – a fantastic strike from just inside the area with nine minutes remaining – would have made the home fans nervous of a repeat, but it wasn’t to be.
The game did end 3-2 on this occasion as well, but in favour of Liverpool after Van Dijk’s added-time bullet header in front of the Kop after Dominik Szoboszlai’s excellent corner delivery from the left.
It was all too much for Simeone, who seemed to get some provocation from the Anfield crowd behind the dugout and ended up getting so upset that he was sent off in the moments after the winner.
Our Opta match centre delivers you all the Liverpool vs Atlético Madrid stats from their UEFA Champions League league phase meeting at Anfield.
The match centre below includes team and player stats, expected goals data, passing networks, an Opta chalkboard and more. It gives you everything you need to do your own match analysis.
Underneath the match centre you can find the official Opta stats on the game as well.
Liverpool 3-2 Atlético Madrid Post-Match Facts
Liverpool have never lost their opening game of a European Cup/UEFA Champions League campaign when playing at home, with tonight being their 10th win from 12 home openers (drawn two). Following tonight’s victory, Liverpool are now the only team to have beaten Atlético Madrid in three consecutive European Cup/UEFA Champions League meetings (3-2 and 2-0 in 2021-22, 3-2 tonight). Since winning both legs against Liverpool in the last 16 in 2019-20 (1-0 at home, 3-2 away), Atlético Madrid have only managed one victory in their last nine games against English sides in the UEFA Champions League (D2 L6 – the win coming at Manchester United in March 2022). With Liverpool 2-0 up after just six minutes against Atlético Madrid, this was the earliest the Reds have ever scored two goals in a major European match. Virgil van Dijk’s winner was the fourth goal Liverpool have scored in the 90th minute (or later) across all competitions this season, at least twice as many as any other Premier League team. Six of their eight second half goals in 2025-26 have now been scored from the 88th minute onwards. Atlético Madrid’s Marcos Llorente has been directly involved in five goals in two away games against Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League (four goals, one assist), with this both the joint-most goals (4) and goal involvements (5) by a visiting player at Anfield in the competition (level with Karim Benzema in both – four goals, one assist).Enjoy this? Subscribe to our football newsletter to receive exclusive weekly content. You should also follow our social accounts over on X, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.
Liverpool 3-2 Atlético Madrid Stats: Van Dijk Secures Yet Another Added-Time Winner for the Reds Opta Analyst.
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