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Liverpool kicked off their 2026-27 Champions League campaign with an impressive 2-1 comeback victory over Atletico Madrid at Anfield. The Reds recovered from a 17th-minute concession to Marcos Llorente, with Dominik Szoboszlai restoring parity before Alexis Mac Allister struck a memorable second-half decider.
Rio Ngumoha's clever movement in the channel set up the opportunity, allowing Mac Allister to rasp a 20-yard effort cleanly inside the post.
The victory handed manager Andoni Iraola a winning start to the new European league phase.
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Argentine midfielder praises timing and Anfield crowd
Speaking after the final whistle, Mac Allister expressed immense satisfaction with the team's tactical execution and psychological response after going behind. He highlighted the critical timing of Liverpool's goals either side of the interval.
The World Cup winner praised the Anfield faithful for driving the team forward during crucial moments of the match.
"I liked the mentality," Mac Allister stated. "We showed desire, we got the fans behind us and that's really important when you play at Anfield. That's what we want and I think it's a really positive step for us."
Decisive strike reflects team's quality and belief
Reflecting on his match-winning technique, Mac Allister admitted he immediately felt confident when shooting from distance. The 27-year-old emphasized that individual moments of quality must serve the broader collective ambition of the squad.
He acknowledged that early defensive lapses were quickly rectified by dominant spells of possession and pressing.
"It was a good hit," Mac Allister noted. "Normally when I'm in those positions I like to shoot. I'm happy because I love to score goals. Today, it was a nice goal and was important for the team."
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High expectations set for European campaign
Looking ahead to the remainder of the tournament, Mac Allister insisted that Liverpool hold the quality and determination needed to target trophies. However, he stressed that every player must remain fully aligned to meet the heavy expectations surrounding the club.
Andoni Iraola's side now turn their focus to next month's European trip to face Austrian outfit LASK.
"We have an amazing team," Mac Allister concluded. "We have quality, we have desire and we have everything to be successful. We will try, we will work hard and hopefully we can get some trophies."