Liverpool once again called upon their powers of endurance to beat Atletico Madrid in their opening Champions League game, but Arne Slot has been sent a worrying message
Arne Slot
Arne Slot has been sent a message in the aftermath of Liverpool's win vs Atletico Madrid
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Liverpool have been warned that their habit of winning games late on is becoming a ‘problem’. The Reds kicked off their Champions League campaign in style as they beat Atletico Madrid 3-2.
But the scoreline does not tell the story of the game. Liverpool were in firm control after early goals from Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah.
However, Atletico midfielder Marcos Llorente netted a brace to level matters with ten minutes of normal time remaining. But a stunning header from Reds captain Virgil van Dijk in stoppage time secured a dramatic win for Liverpool - with Atleti boss Diego Simeone being sent off in the aftermath.
It was just the latest in a series of late shows from the Premier League champions this season, having also beaten Burnley, Arsenal, Newcastle and Crystal Palace towards the end of their respective games. And former Chelsea star Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has warned the Reds that their luck is going to run out eventually.
When asked on Match of the Day how he would feel if he were Slot, he said: “Yeah, we can’t keep doing this. You want this to happen but this happens four times in a row, that’s a problem.
“The Burnley one is a little bit different. But winning, giving goals away and then in the last moment, having to find a magic moment.
“Yes, it’s good. You’re showing resilience, you’re showing that you don’t give up, you’re showing that you’re still there. But this is not going to keep on happening.”
Even the Liverpool dressing room are aware that they won’t always be able to get over the line late on. Robertson has warned his teammates to make sure they are able to find wins far earlier.
Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk celebrates his late goal vs Atletico Madrid
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Speaking after the win vs Atletico, the defender said: "I think we need to maybe get back to winning a bit simpler and a bit easier. Obviously it's a great thing to have been able to keep going right to the end but when you're 2-0 up and you're playing so well in the first half, it should have been a more comfortable night."
Despite that, Liverpool boss Arne Slot remained full of praise for his players for once again showing the required resilience to eventually secure victory. "If you want to beat a team like Atletico, which is known and has an unbelievable mentality, you have to beat them with their own weapon as well and that is mentality," Slot told TNT Sports.
"I think that's what we showed again today, that we can beat them also by mentality. But I think we should have made it easier for ourselves."
Liverpool are back in action on Saturday afternoon when they take on Merseyside rivals Everton at Anfield.
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