Liverpool Dominate Atletico Madrid in Europe, But Barcola Injury Casts Shadow Over Stunning Victory

Liverpool pulled off a 2–1 comeback win against Atlético Madrid on Wednesday, earning all three points in Andoni Iraola's first Champions League match as manager.

It appeared history was set to repeat itself when Marcos Llorente put the visitors ahead in the 17th minute. The Spanish international has a knack for quieting Anfield, enthusiastically celebrating his fifth goal in just three appearances at the famous stadium.

Dominik Szoboszlai leveled things up for the Reds, converting a sharp backheel assist from Ronald Araújo in the 40th minute to send both sides into the break on equal terms. Liverpool carried that momentum into the second half, with a thunderous effort from Alexis Mac Allister putting them ahead just five minutes after the interval.

Iraola's side held on, fending off a late Atlético Madrid surge to claim the win in their Champions League league phase opener. However, a shadow was cast over the celebrations by Bradley Barcola's apparent injury.

One Thing We Can't Ignore

All attention was focused on Bradley Barcola at Anfield. The high-profile summer acquisition made his first start in a red shirt, taking up the right wing role previously occupied by Mohamed Salah. Everything was in place for a memorable Champions League debut for the Frenchman, but the night turned into something of a disappointment.

Barcola had a handful of promising chances in the first half, but spent much of the opening 45 minutes isolated on the right side, starved of service. It seemed as though he was waiting patiently for his defining moment, and it arrived just four minutes after the restart.

Florian Wirtz threaded a brilliant ball perfectly into Barcola's run in transition. The winger was clean through on goal, with two defenders in pursuit and Jan Oblak well off his line. Yet the former Paris Saint-Germain forward dragged his shot wide, drawing a collective groan from the packed Anfield crowd.

Matters worsened when Barcola went down with what appeared to be a calf injury just before the hour mark. The 24-year-old received attention from the medical team before hobbling off the pitch, with Víctor Muñoz coming on as his replacement.

Liverpool will be anxiously awaiting a fitness update on their $166 million (£123 million) signing.

Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Atlético Madrid (4-2-3-1)

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Alisson—7.0: Had no chance with Llorente's opener, but produced a vital stop to deny Alvarez in the first half. Stood firm to keep the visitors to a single goal.

RB: Ronald Araújo—7.1: Was caught out in transition early on, but redeemed himself with a clever backheel assist to bring Liverpool level. Did well to keep Álex Baena in check.

CB: Jérémy Jacquet—7.1: Still developing, but held his ground. Kept Alvarez off the scoresheet, which is about as much as you can ask of the young defender on his Champions League debut.

CB: Virgil van Dijk—7.0: Could only give chase to Llorente after being caught ball-watching in the lead-up to the opening goal. Settled down well to bring stability to the backline.

LB: Milos Kerkez—7.8: Was thoroughly outplayed by Llorente, and not just for the goal. Required Szoboszlai's assistance on several occasions to plug the gaps down the left. Improved in the second half to better handle the pressure.

CM: Dominik Szoboszlai—8.7: Regained possession to spark the move that culminated in his equalizer. Radiates intensity and a burning desire to compete for every moment he is on the field.

CM: Alexis Mac Allister—8.2: An early yellow card threatened to derail another difficult outing, until his stunning strike changed everything. There could not have been a better time for the Argentine to get off the mark this season.

RW: Bradley Barcola—6.6: The opportunity was there to mark his first start with a goal, but he squandered a brilliant counter-attack with a shot that failed to even trouble the keeper. Lasted only an hour before picking up an apparent injury.

AM: Florian Wirtz—7.9: A constant presence in Liverpool's attacking play. Let down by his final ball on occasion, and by Barcola after the break. Nevertheless, an encouraging performance from the German.

LW: Rio Ngumoha—6.6: Found himself in dangerous positions thanks to his pace and slick footwork. Deserved an assist for the way he brilliantly skipped past Llorente with a driving run into the box in the build-up to Mac Allister's winner.

ST: Alexander Isak—7.5: Looked sharp early on but couldn't extend his scoring streak. Departed with an assist to his name.

SUB: Víctor Muñoz (60' for Barcola)—6.6: Found it difficult to make an impact. Managed just 13 touches across 30 minutes.

SUB: Jeremie Frimpong (60' for Ngumoha)—5.9: Believed he had netted his first goal of the season, only for the offside flag to cut short his celebration in the closing stages.

SUB: Ryan Gravenberch (69' for Mac Allister)—6.5: Provided stability in midfield. Managed a passing accuracy of just 71%.

SUB: Lewis Koumas (88' for Isak)—N/A 

SUB: Kostas Tsimikas (88' for Kerkez)—N/A 

Subs not used: Freddie Woodman (GK), Giorgi Mamardashvili (GK), James McConnell, Luke Chambers, Trey Nyoni, Jayden Danns.

What the Ratings Tell Us

The Numbers That Explain Liverpool's Comeback Win