Liverpool beat Atlético Madrid 3-2 with late Van Dijk goal in Champions League thriller
Liverpool made a dream start to their Champions League campaign by defeating Atlético Madrid 3-2 at Anfield, thanks to a stoppage-time header from Virgil van Dijk.
Reds strike early with Salah leading the way
The English champions came out firing, dismantling Diego Simeone’s defensive plan within minutes. At four minutes, Mohamed Salah fired a shot that deflected off Robertson to open the scoring. Two minutes later, the Egyptian doubled the lead with a composed finish past Jan Oblak after a precise pass from Gravenberch.
Liverpool nearly extended the advantage when VAR overturned a penalty decision for handball against Lenglet. The missed chance gave Atlético life, and just before halftime, Marcos Llorente pulled one back with a powerful strike assisted by Raspadori.
Atlético fight back but Van Dijk has the final word
The second half saw Liverpool control possession, while Atlético gradually grew into the game. Klopp’s men hit the post through Salah and went close with efforts from Ekitike and Wirtz, but Atlético punished them in the 80th minute when Llorente scored again, his shot deflecting off Mac Allister and beating Alisson for the equalizer.
Just as the game seemed destined for a draw, Dominik Szoboszlai delivered a perfect corner in stoppage time, and captain Virgil van Dijk rose highest to head home the dramatic winner, sending Anfield into raptures.
What the result means
The victory extends Liverpool’s perfect run this season, with five consecutive wins across all competitions. They remain top of the Premier League and now carry that momentum into Europe.
For Atlético Madrid, the defeat highlights their resilience but also exposes vulnerabilities, as Simeone’s side continues searching for consistency.
- Key match stats – Liverpool 3-2 Atlético Madrid
- Goals: Robertson (4’, deflected), Salah (6’), Van Dijk (90+2’) – Llorente (45+1’, 80’)
- Shots: Liverpool 18 – Atlético 9
- Possession: Liverpool 62% – 38% Atlético
- Corners: Liverpool 7 – Atlético 3
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