Liverpool 2-1 Atletico Madrid: Mac Allister Seals Comeback in Champions League Opener

Liverpool began their 2026-27 Champions League campaign with a 2-1 comeback victory over Atletico Madrid at Anfield, extending their unbeaten start under manager Andoni Iraola.

Atletico Madrid took the lead through Marcos Llorente, but Liverpool responded before half-time through Dominik Szoboszlai. Alexis Mac Allister then completed the turnaround early in the second half to secure three valuable points for the Reds.

The victory gave Iraola a winning start in his first Champions League match as Liverpool manager, although the result was overshadowed slightly by an injury to £123 million signing Bradley Barcola.

Liverpool Start Quickly at Anfield

Liverpool immediately showed their attacking intent.

Within just 15 seconds, Dominik Szoboszlai won possession following the restart and played the ball toward Alexander Isak. The Swedish striker's effort, however, went wide of the left post.

Atletico responded with a dangerous spell of their own, with Julian Alvarez forcing Alisson Becker into an early save.

Barcola, making his first start since arriving from Paris Saint-Germain, then produced an impressive piece of control to bring down a Szoboszlai pass before testing Jan Oblak from a difficult angle.

Llorente Gives Atletico the Lead

Despite Liverpool's bright opening, Atletico Madrid struck first in the 17th minute.

Julian Alvarez found space and played a clever pass that caught Milos Kerkez out of position. Marcos Llorente reacted quickly, breaking into the area before calmly finishing to put the visitors ahead.

The goal continued Llorente's remarkable scoring record at Anfield and gave Atletico a valuable advantage.

Alisson was forced into another impressive intervention soon afterward, stretching to push Alvarez's long-range attempt behind.

Szoboszlai Levels Before Half-Time

Liverpool continued to press for an equaliser and were rewarded just before the interval.

Five minutes before half-time, Dominik Szoboszlai found the back of the net after receiving a brilliant flick from Ronald Araujo inside the penalty area.

The Hungarian midfielder kept his composure before rolling the ball beyond Oblak, sending Liverpool into the break level at 1-1.

Mac Allister Completes Liverpool's Comeback

Liverpool needed only five minutes after the restart to take the lead.

After a rapid counter-attack involving Florian Wirtz, Barcola came close to scoring but fired narrowly wide.

Moments later, Alexis Mac Allister stepped forward and unleashed a powerful left-footed strike that flew into the net, putting Liverpool 2-1 ahead in the 50th minute.

The Argentine midfielder's goal completed Liverpool's comeback and gave the hosts control of the contest.

Barcola Injury Raises Concern

Liverpool's celebrations were somewhat tempered when Barcola was forced off after appearing to suffer an injury while moving off the ball.

His departure allowed Atletico to become more involved in the match as the visitors looked for an equaliser.

Julian Alvarez was presented with another opportunity after receiving the ball in space on the edge of the Liverpool box, but his relatively tame effort was comfortably collected by Alisson.

Liverpool Hold Firm in Closing Stages

Atletico continued to search for a second goal, but Liverpool's defence managed to withstand the pressure.

The hosts gradually regained control and looked more likely to add another goal as the match approached its conclusion.

Alexander Isak saw his attempt blocked by Robin Le Normand, while Araujo narrowly missed the target with a flick from a Szoboszlai corner.

Liverpool thought they had scored a third in the 89th minute when Jeremie Frimpong finished after Victor Munoz's effort had been saved.

However, the Reds ultimately had to settle for the 2-1 victory after successfully defending their advantage through five minutes of stoppage time.

Szoboszlai Continues His European Impact

Dominik Szoboszlai once again demonstrated his importance to Liverpool in European competition.

Since the beginning of last season, the Hungarian has been directly involved in 10 Champions League goals, including six goals and four assists.

That figure is twice as many goal involvements as any other Liverpool player during the same period.

He has also recorded three goals and three assists across his last six European home appearances, making him a particularly influential player at Anfield.

Mac Allister Enjoys a Strong Start Under Iraola

Alexis Mac Allister also produced an impressive midfield performance.

The Argentine appears to have found renewed confidence under Andoni Iraola following a difficult 2025-26 campaign.

His winning goal was his fifth for Liverpool from outside the penalty area, while he also won five duels during the match the joint-highest total among the players involved.

Llorente's Anfield Record Continues

Marcos Llorente remains a major threat for Atletico whenever he faces Liverpool at Anfield.

His opener was his fifth Champions League goal away from home against Liverpool, placing him among the competition's most prolific players against a specific opponent.

Only Robert Lewandowski against Crvena Zvezda and Cristiano Ronaldo against Ajax have scored more Champions League away goals against one particular team, with six each.

However, Llorente's latest goal was not enough to prevent Atletico from suffering another defeat against the Reds.

Liverpool Continue Dominance Over Atletico

The victory marked Liverpool's fourth consecutive Champions League win against Atletico Madrid.

The Reds also deserved the result based on their overall attacking output.

Liverpool recorded 14 shots and an expected-goals (xG) figure of 1.68, compared with Atletico's nine attempts and 0.81 xG.

Although Atletico created moments of danger, Liverpool ultimately produced enough quality to claim all three points.

Liverpool 2-1 Atletico Madrid: Key Highlights

• Final score: Liverpool 2-1 Atletico Madrid

• Liverpool scorers: Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister

• Atletico scorer: Marcos Llorente

• Winning goal: Alexis Mac Allister, 50th minute

• Venue: Anfield

• Competition: UEFA Champions League

• Liverpool manager: Andoni Iraola

• Liverpool shots: 14

• Liverpool xG: 1.68

• Atletico Madrid xG: 0.81

Liverpool opened their Champions League campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 comeback victory over Atletico Madrid at Anfield.

Marcos Llorente gave the visitors an early advantage, but Dominik Szoboszlai restored parity before Alexis Mac Allister's powerful second-half strike completed the comeback.

The result extends Liverpool's unbeaten beginning under Andoni Iraola and gives the Reds an important three points in their European campaign. However, attention will now turn to the fitness of Bradley Barcola after his injury forced him from the field.