Liverpool beat Atletico Madrid 3-2 in their Champions League opener at Anfield on Wednesday night, with Virgil van Dijk scoring a dramatic injury-time winner
22:41, 17 Sep 2025Updated 22:41, 17 Sep 2025
Liverpool's Dutch manager Arne Slot gestures during the UEFA Champions League first round football match between Liverpool and Atletico Madrid at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on September 17, 2025. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
Arne Slot inspired Liverpool to a late dramatic win(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Virgil van Dijk netted a thrilling last-minute winner as Liverpool maintained their flair for late theatrics with a nail-biting 3-2 triumph over Atletico Madrid in their Champions League opener on Wednesday night.
The Reds got off to a flying start with two goals within the first six minutes, courtesy of Andy Robertson and Mo Salah.
However, Marcos Llorente - who had previously scored twice at Anfield for the Spanish side in 2020 - controversially nudged Atletico back into contention just before half-time.
His deflected shot nine minutes from the end seemed to have secured a draw for the visitors until Van Dijk's header in injury time turned the tide.
This was followed by Atletico manager Diego Simeone being sent off.
Here's how the Liverpool players fared, according to the Liverpool Echo.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 17: Clement Lenglet of Atletico de Madrid tackles Ryan Gravenberch of Liverpool during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD1 match between Liverpool FC and Atletico de Madrid at Anfield on September 17, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
Ryan Gravenberch bagged an 8/10 for his performance(Image: Getty Images)
Alisson Becker - 7
Handled a series of corners well in the first half as the visitors ramped up the pressure. Couldn't do much about either Atletico goal.
Jeremie Frimpong - 7
Made some solid defensive blocks but fluffed his lines when given a scoring opportunity by Wirtz. Subbed off later.
Ibrahima Konate - 7
Relished his tussle with Raspadori and was commanding in the air. His distribution was also commendable.
Could have done better with a late header.
Virgil van Dijk - 7
Defended proactively in the early stages and assisted Liverpool in dealing with set-pieces before smashing in a decisive header in injury time.
Andy Robertson - 7
Robertson was in the right spot to deflect Salah's early free-kick into the net, but as the game progressed, he was needed more on the defensive end and posed less of a threat going forward. He was substituted in the second half.
Ryan Gravenberch - 8
Gravenberch won the free-kick that led to the opening goal and played a key role in setting up Salah for the second. His performance before the break was outstanding, and he maintained this high level throughout the match.
Dominik Szoboszlai - 7
Szoboszlai set the tone early by pressuring Atletico's midfield into making mistakes and frequently drove the ball forward. After the break, he cleaned up a lot and delivered an enticing corner that resulted in the winning goal.
Mohamed Salah - 7
Salah was fortunate with the assist for the first goal, but there was nothing lucky about his brilliantly executed second goal. He came close with two other attempts in the first half.
Although he was quieter in the second half, he still hit the inside of the post and created a chance for Ekitike.
Florian Wirtz - 8
Wirtz provided Salah with an excellent pass in the first half and showed further signs of improvement. His understanding with Isak was immediate, and he moved to the left wing after an hour.
He was involved in much of Liverpool's good play before being substituted.
Atletico Madrid's Spanish midfielder #08 Pablo Barrios (L) and Liverpool's German midfielder #07 Florian Wirtz fight for the ball during the UEFA Champions League first round football match between Liverpool and Atletico Madrid at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on September 17, 2025. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
Wirtz impressed on his Liverpool Champions League debut(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Cody Gakpo - 6
Gakpo was a regular outlet during the first quarter of the match and did well to hold onto the ball, but his effectiveness waned as the game went on. He was substituted.
Alexander Isak - 7
Making his debut, Isak was clearly not at full match fitness but began to show real quality before the interval, particularly in his link-up play with Wirtz. He was substituted.
SUBS
Conor Bradley (for Frimpong at 58 minutes) - 6
Bradley had a tough time as Atletico clearly targeted him, but he persevered. He received a yellow card.
Hugo Ekitike (substituted for Isak at 58 minutes) - 6
Took some time to adjust to the game's pace and missed a golden opportunity towards the end.
Alexis Mac Allister (substituted for Gakpo at 58 minutes) - 6
Was somewhat subdued in midfield and inadvertently deflected Atletico's equaliser.
Rio Ngumoha (substituted for Wirtz at 74 minutes) - 6
A Champions League debut for the 17 year old.
Article continues below
Milos Kerkez (substituted for Robertson at 86 minutes)
On the pitch during all the late drama.