Liverpool defeats Atletico Madrid in a thrilling match thanks to Van Dijk's late header

For Liverpool, it should have been much simpler than this, but the shout in the 92nd minute to celebrate Virgil van Dijk's victory over Atletico Madrid made the struggle worthwhile. The captain's header was just Liverpool's third recent game-winning goal in five straight wins, so this is what everyone is expecting from them this season.

With goals after the 80th minute, Arne Slot's team has won all of their Premier League games thus far. Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah gave Liverpool the lead in six minutes, giving them the impression that they wanted to approach the Champions League in a new way. They were seriously mistaken if they believed they had completed the task before anyone had even bothered. Marcos Llorente, a full-back-turned-midfielder who has now scored four Champions League goals at Anfield, was an unexpected source of Atletico's goals.

Supporters' expressions showed more worry than they did against Burnley on Sunday, but they are aware that their squad is expert at persevering. In order to test the Kop's foundations and put their Champions League start on par with their domestic play, Van Dijk climbed highest and blasted the ball past Jan Oblak.

Just a second after the net rippled for the sixth time, Diego Simeone yelled at the referee. The head coach of Atletico expressed his general displeasure with Maurizio Mariani, but there was no clear explanation for his anger. The Italian dismissed him without engaging in a dispute. The fact that Alexander Sørloth missed a fantastic opportunity to equalize should have irritated Simeone more. After confronting a home supporter, the Argentine was led by stewards down the tunnel. On the touchline, he claimed to have been insulted.

Atlético had gotten off to a fast start in the traditional 4-4-2 shape. They aimed to annoy and frustrate Liverpool, but Ryan Gravenberch's clumsy trip on the box's edge in the fourth minute sent that clever plan down the Mersey. Salah launched the free-kick with incredible force, and Robertson was caught off guard when the ball bounced in off his calf.

If the first came from ferocity and luck, the second came from skill and cunning. After rushing through the defense, the excellent Gravenberch was at the center of it once more, trading passes with Salah and putting the ball in the Egyptian's path. ­ Salah was perfectly positioned to slot beneath Oblak thanks to deft touches. The task seemed to be finished.

Liverpool, whose confidence was built as the passes fizzed between red shirts, looked more confident than Atletico. Although British record signing Alexander Isak made his Liverpool debut, the hosts' performance was primarily led by Salah and Gravenberch. Before the half, Salah had the opportunity to add two more.

Mariani attempted to provide some assistance even though Liverpool didn't need it by strangely seeing Clément Lenglet handball Jeremie Frimpong's ball into the box. The referee was compelled to reverse his initial ruling and bring Simeone's blood pressure back to a level that was more in line with normal after receiving a word in the ear and checking the monitor.

Atletico showed signs of hope when they threatened on the counter, but without Julián Alvarez, who was injured, they had no one to convert their chances. However, in the first half, Llorente appeared to cut the deficit with a schoolyard toe-poke that went through Ibrahima Konaté's legs.

Isak didn't play much, but his most noteworthy moment was when he was grabbed on the top of the foot by Robin Le Normand's studs. Isak received treatment and some time off to catch his breath, while the center-back received a booking for his carelessness. When he stood up, he was met with a thunderous cheer; the supporters are clamoring for a new No. 9 who can be heroic. In the 58th minute, he shook hands with his replacement, Hugo Ekitiké, but appeared exhausted when he returned for the second half. The substitute's job was to assist the match end as a contest, but Liverpool found it difficult to put Oblak to the test; their best chance to make it 3-1 was Salah's shot against a post.

Atlético provided a lot of energy with a single objective. After moving into midfield, Llorente saw a looping ball land precisely on his foot, enabling him to volley at goal from 20 yards out, proving that their efforts had been worthwhile. Alexis Mac Allister deflected the shot past Alisson to hush Anfield, save for one corner, who believed they were going to depart with a point. It was Atlético's turn to enjoy some good fortune.

But Liverpool has no intention of giving up. Desperation had replaced expectation when Dominik Szoboszlai stepped up to lift a late corner into the area, but Van Dijk rewarded the emotional effort. With Galatasaray, Eintracht Frankfurt, Real Madrid, Inter, and PSV coming up before Christmas, Slot's first seven Champions League victories from the previous season were crucial in gaining momentum.