Llorente scores again at Anfield, Liverpool rebuilds the game

On the first matchday of the Champions League Liverpool faced Atletico Madrid at home in Anfield. In the game Marcos Llorente scored early to make it 1-0, but thanks to Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister the match turned into a 2-1 victory for the English. In the end the Reds celebrated.

The “Reds” nightmare Marcos Llorente, freshly crowned Spanish world champion, has so far scored eleven goals in sixty Champions League appearances. Almost half of those goals came for Atletico while serving at the hallowed Anfield Road. His fifth goal came right at the start of the new league phase and defined the match.

Julian Álvarez, who moved to Atletico in the summer, skillfully played the ball into the depth in the 17th minute. Llorente exploited the gap and gave Alisson Becker no chance, putting the visitors ahead 1-0.

Equaliser and Winning Goal

Liverpool responded shortly before halftime in the first half, when Ronald Araujo freed the Hungarian midfield strategist Dominik Szoboszlai with a back‑heel trick. Szoboszlai struck from close range in the 40th minute to level the score. In the 50th minute Alexis Mac Allister placed the ball precisely from 17 metres and delivered the win to the English.

Andoni Iraola, who led the team as a neo‑coach, saw Virgil van Dijk as the only Dutch starter. Jeremie Frimpong and Ryan Gravenberch later left the field, while Cody Gakpo withdrew due to a minor injury. The match was summarised in the round‑up of Wednesday's games.

The second matchday of the Champions League follows in five weeks; Liverpool travels on 14 October to Austria to face LASK, while Atletico host Manchester United the day before. This keeps the group exciting.