Virgil van Dijk’s stoppage-time header sealed a dramatic 3-2 win for Liverpool over Atletico Madrid in their Champions League opener on Wednesday, but also ignited a heated altercation between Atletico boss Diego Simeone and the Anfield crowd.
Simeone was shown a red card in the aftermath of Van Dijk’s 92nd-minute winner, following a tense exchange with home supporters. The Atletico coach appeared to single out a particular fan and demanded their removal, even after being dismissed by Italian referee Maurizio Mariani.
The Spanish side had clawed their way back from a 2-0 deficit, with Marcos Llorente scoring twice to level the game, evoking memories of his brace that knocked Liverpool out of the Champions League at Anfield five years ago.
Liverpool, however, flipped the script this time. Two early goals in the first six minutes set the tone, with Mohamed Salah’s deflected free-kick off Andy Robertson opening the scoring before the Egyptian added a second to cap a dazzling display in his first start of the season.
The night also marked Alexander Isak’s Liverpool debut, with the £125 million signing from Newcastle—now the most expensive player in English football history—facing high expectations.
Despite Atletico’s spirited comeback, Van Dijk’s late strike ensured Liverpool continued their remarkable run of late drama, having now won all five of their Premier League and Champions League fixtures this season with goals scored after the 80th minute.
