Liverpool’s late-game magic continued as a 93rd-minute header from Virgil van Dijk sealed a dramatic 3-2 victory over Atletico Madrid, giving head coach Arne Slot a memorable, if stressful, 47th birthday gift.
The win was Liverpool’s fifth this season to be secured in the final moments of the match, a pattern that has become both a trademark and a cause for concern.
While Liverpool’s new £125 million striker Alexander Isak showed promising touches in his debut before being substituted, it was veteran Mohamed Salah who proved to be the more dangerous player on the night.
Despite a moment of defensive carelessness that allowed Atletico’s Marcos Llorente to level the score late on, Liverpool’s determination and the electric atmosphere at Anfield once again proved to be the deciding factors.
