Liverpool 2-1 Atletico Madrid: 5 Things We Learned from the Champions League Opener
Final score Liverpool 2-1 Atletico Madrid. Scorers: 17' Marcos Llorente (assist Julián Álvarez), 40' Dominik Szoboszlai (assist Ronald Araújo), 50' Alexis Mac Allister. Man of the match: Alexis Mac Allister. The five takeaways below are what this result means for the rest of the league phase, and the ratings are the player-by-player verdict.
The Result: Quick Answers
- Final score: Liverpool 2-1 Atletico Madrid
- Scorers: 17' Marcos Llorente (assist Julián Álvarez), 40' Dominik Szoboszlai (assist Ronald Araújo), 50' Alexis Mac Allister
- Man of the match: Alexis Mac Allister
- Venue: Anfield, Liverpool · Wednesday 9 September 2026, 21:00 CET / 15:00 ET
The pre-match picture
Anfield takes its first league-phase night of the 2026/27 season. The format is unchanged: 36 clubs in one table, eight matches each against eight different opponents, the top eight going straight to the round of 16 and clubs finishing 9th to 24th facing a two-legged knockout play-off.
Liverpool begin a new era under Andoni Iraola, and a Champions League opening night is the sharpest possible first test of it. Atletico Madrid arrive with Diego Simeone still in the dugout, three Europa League titles in the cabinet and the one honour this competition has never given them still missing.
Where this piece sits
Five takeaways and the player ratings from this fixture, written for fans who have also read the Liverpool vs Atletico preview, the full Matchday 1 fixture list, the Contenders and Dark Horses guide, the Champions League 2026/27 hub.
Final score: Liverpool 2-1 Atletico Madrid
The league phase opened with a home win at Anfield, Liverpool. Man of the match: Alexis Mac Allister. The five things we learned and the full player ratings follow below.
The key data
The post-match numbers tell the tactical story:
- Possession: Atletico 55% - Liverpool 45%
- Shots: Liverpool 14 - Atletico 9
- Shots on target: Liverpool 5 - Atletico 4
- xG: Liverpool 1.9 - Atletico 1.1
- Big chances: Liverpool 3 - Atletico 2
- Corners: Liverpool 7 - Atletico 5
- Fouls: Liverpool 11 - Atletico 10
- Yellows: Liverpool 1 - Atletico 0
Five things we learned
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1. Mac Allister's thunderbolt flipped the night
Alexis Mac Allister settled it in the 50th minute with a left-foot strike from outside the box that Oblak never moved for. It was the midfielder's first Champions League goal for Liverpool and the decisive moment of an absorbing Anfield night.
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2. Szoboszlai dragged Liverpool back into it
Dominik Szoboszlai equalised on 40 minutes after Ronald Araújo's clever back-heel flick, and his first-half numbers told the story of Liverpool's fightback: more chances created and more take-ons than any other player on the pitch.
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3. Llorente's love affair with Liverpool rolls on
Marcos Llorente opened the scoring on 17 minutes, tapping in after Julián Álvarez's through ball. It was his fifth Champions League goal against Liverpool, half of his career total in the competition has now come against the Reds.
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4. Iraola's Anfield begins with a statement
Andoni Iraola's first European night as Liverpool head coach ended in a 2-1 win built on a second-half press that suffocated Atletico. Going a goal down early did not shake the plan, it sharpened it.
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5. Atletico's grip slipped once they led
Simeone's side could not sustain the intensity that earned the early lead. Over-reliant on Álvarez dropping deep to build, Atletico created little after the break and were punished by a Liverpool side that controlled possession and territory.
The jerseys from this fixture
These are the Liverpool and Atletico Madrid shirts in stock now, including the 2026/27 editions the players wore.
Liverpool FC 26/27 Home Fan Edition Jersey
Liverpool FC 26/27 Away Jersey
Liverpool FC 26/27 Stadium Jersey
Atletico Madrid 26/27 Away Jersey
Atletico Madrid Home Jersey 2025/26 Vapor
Player ratings: Liverpool (4-3-3)
| Liverpool (4-3-3) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Player | Rating | Note |
| GK | Alisson Goalkeeper | 7.0 | Three saves and a calm presence behind a back line that grew into the game. |
| RB | Ronald Araújo Right-back | 7.5 | The back-heel assist for the equaliser was the moment that turned the night. |
| CB | Jorgen Jacquet Centre-back | 6.5 | Solid alongside van Dijk and tidy in possession. |
| CB | Virgil van Dijk Centre-back | 7.5 | A team-high six clearances anchored the second-half wall. |
| LB | Milos Kerkez Left-back | 6.8 | Energetic down the left, though caught square for the opener. |
| CM | Dominik Szoboszlai Midfielder | 8.0 | Equaliser plus the highest chance creation and take-ons of any player. |
| CM | Alexis Mac Allister Midfielder | 8.6 | Winning worldie and man of the match; the heartbeat of the comeback. |
| RW | Bradley Barcola Winger | 6.4 | Bright early but missed a big chance and went off injured on the hour. |
| AM | Florian Wirtz Attacking midfielder | 7.1 | Quietly influential in the half-spaces, linked the attack. |
| LW | Rio Ngumoha Winger | 6.6 | Direct and fearless on the left flank. |
| ST | Alexander Isak Striker | 6.7 | Held the line and stretched Atletico's back three. |
Player ratings: Atletico Madrid (4-4-2)
| Atletico Madrid (4-4-2) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Player | Rating | Note |
| GK | Jan Oblak Goalkeeper | 7.0 | Three saves; beaten only by a strike he could do nothing about. |
| CB | Marc Pubill Centre-back | 6.5 | Composed in a back three, stepped out well. |
| CB | Cristian Romero Centre-back | 6.5 | Won his duels but exposed by the switch of play for the winner. |
| CB | David Hancko Centre-back | 6.6 | Neat on the ball and disciplined positionally. |
| RM | Marcos Llorente Right midfielder | 7.5 | Scored a fine opener; his fifth UCL goal against Liverpool. |
| CM | Pablo Barrios Midfielder | 6.7 | Pressed intelligently before tiring. |
| CM | Koke Midfielder | 6.5 | Tried to dictate tempo in a crowded midfield. |
| LM | Giuliano Simeone Left midfielder | 6.4 | Tracked back diligently, limited going forward. |
| AM | Lee Kang-In Attacking midfielder | 6.6 | Neat in pockets, faded after the break. |
| AM | Álex Baena Attacking midfielder | 6.5 | Set-piece threat, quiet in open play. |
| ST | Julián Álvarez Striker | 7.1 | The assist for the opener, but dropped too deep to influence the second half. |
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