Andoni Iraola got his first win in the Champions League as Liverpool beat Atletico Madrid, with Alexis Mac Allister excellent throughout at Anfield against Diego Simeone's side
Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola.
Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola.(Image: Jan Kruger - UEFA via Getty Images)
Andoni Iraola was brought to Liverpool to inject more intensity on the field, but there was plenty of vigor in the stands too as the Reds moved past Atletico Madrid.
Driven forward by the exceptional Alexis Mac Allister, Liverpool was bright. Bradley Barcola showed a few glimpses, while Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz offered flickers. There is more work be done in the attack, sure, but this felt more exciting than much of last season had.
It was the Liverpool midfield that ultimately won the points. Mac Allister, especially, was excellent, but Dominik Szoboszlai, alongside him, also produced a strong showing.
"Maybe there are elements (of a big Champions League night) that we can take for granted — the darkness, the floodlights, the time of day and so on," Iraola had written in the matchday program.
"But the rest has to be created on the night itself — by people and by passion. This is our responsibility. We know what the legacy of this club is and we know the impact it can have, so we have to use this knowledge to inspire us."
There is no doubt that, led by Mac Allister, Liverpool did just that. There will be more famous Anfield nights — hopefully in the not-too-distant future — but this, Iraola's first, felt significant.
On the touchline, Diego Simeone was up to his usual tricks. Prowling his technical area — and beyond, much to the frustration of the fourth official — he was pushing the boundaries, sometimes literally.
Andoni Iraola on the touchline during Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
Andoni Iraola on the touchline during Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.(Image: Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
But Iraola was not overawed in the slightest. He didn’t look out of place on the big stage.
Though he didn’t confront Simeone and things were cordial between the benches, there was just as much arm-waving from the Liverpool boss, who held his own.
Some was in the direction of the referee, Davide Massa, who baffled Iraola and his staff at times with his decision-making.
More was at his own players, though, purposefully and animatedly directing like a conductor, with Milos Kerkez among those to get an earful in the first half.
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Iraola gave a note to Mac Allister at one point (presumably: keep doing what you’re doing), and he was cajoling Szoboszlai, Wirtz and others into position.
The Anfield crowd, with Liverpool more lively, reacted accordingly. More where that came from will go down very well as the bond between the dugout and the stands builds.
As Iraola’s shouts showed, there is more fine-tuning to be done. This, though, was a strong opening statement.
Beating a team like Atletico Madrid, putting an important three points on the board immediately, should take the pressure off Liverpool further down the line. In the immediate term, the wait for Iraola to get off the mark in Europe is already over.