Champions League: Iraola Celebrates Liverpool Win Against Atletico Madrid
Alexis Mac Allister scored the winner as Liverpool recovered from an early deficit and extended their winning run to two matches.
- On Wednesday, September 9, 2026, Liverpool defeated Atlético Madrid 2-1 at Anfield in their Champions League opener, marking a winning debut for new head coach Andoni Iraola.
- Atlético Madrid took a 17th-minute lead through Marcos Llorente after Diego Simeone's side deployed a five-man defense that caught Iraola off guard tactically.
- Ronald Araujo set up Dominik Szoboszlai for the equalizer shortly before halftime, then Alexis Mac Allister secured victory with a left-footed strike five minutes into the second half.
- Iraola admitted, "I think today I have to blame myself a little bit for the start of the game," while praising his players' character in mounting the comeback.
- Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher praised the result but expressed concerns about the team's defensive structure, noting the club faces a transitional phase under their new manager.
15 Articles
15 Articles
"Bit worrying" - Carragher highlights Liverpool problem but admits one player looks "a lot better"
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher admits he saw some worrying things from his old club despite their win over Atletico Madrid last night. The Reds came from behind to defeat Atletico 2-1 at Anfield as new manager Andoni Iraola made a winning start to the new Champions League campaign. However, Carragher feels Liverpool looked wide open […]
Champions League: Iraola celebrates Liverpool win against Atletico Madrid
Liverpool began their Champions League campaign with a 2-1 comeback win over Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, giving new manager Andoni Iraola a winning start in Europe's top competition. Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and Arsenal also opened their campaigns with victories as the tournament's leading clubs got off the mark.
Andoni Iraola, the head coach of the English Liverpool, expressed his surprise at the Madrid Atletico game (2:1) in the first round of the main round of champions. Atletico surprised us at the beginning when we went out to the field with five defenders. We weren't ready. It was hard to adapt to it as the match goes. In the second half, we were much better. Barcolus had two very good moments. It's not lucky we haven't scored yet, but he plays the…
Liverpool – Atlético Madrid: Andoni Iraola’s Hard-Fought Champions League Win (2-1)
For the second season in a row, Diego Simeone came out with a defeat against Liverpool at Anfield. Transitions and high turnovers were Andoni Iraola's side's main weapons to threaten Atlético Madrid. On the other side, Simeone's team found solutions to loosen Liverpool's high press via manipulation, wide and central overloads, and runs in behind. Tactical analysis and match report by Achraf Lamdarhri. The transfer market ended up with question marks looming on the horizon about whether Liverpool covered all the squad deficiencies. After winning the Champions League for two seasons in a row, Bradley Barcola joined from Paris Saint-Germain to replace Mohamed Salah. Victor Munoz and Ronald Araujo landed in Liverpool, with the former to add more depth to the Reds squad and the latter to fill the right-back position. In the end, Liverpool didn't sign a defensive midfielder who was supposed to cover the large ground and add defensive stability the team missed under Arne Slot. In Spain, the saga of Julián Álvarez came to an end as Atlético Madrid remained firm about their decision not to sell the Argentinian striker to a direct rival in La Liga. As an alternative, Barcelona bought Gabriel Jesus from Arsenal. Atlético Madrid and Julián Álvarez found themselves in a position where they had to figure out a middle ground. Whereas the fans still haven't accepted their striker's return because of his attitude in the summer and reluctance to stay, Diego Simeone tries to reintegrate him into the group and take advantage of his qualities. Diego Simeone started the game with Marc . . . Get access to this article and all other quality content of Between the Posts! Start your two-week free trial now! Completely ad-free exclusive articles from our expert tactics writers, plus a complete match plots page to explore. Membership Plans Already a member? Log in
I revealed Atlético’s tactics to teammates — Araújo brags after UCL win
Liverpool’s new signing Ronald Araújo has revealed that his previous experience playing against Atlético Madrid helped his new teammates prepare for the Spanish side in their UEFA Champions League clash. Liverpool came from behind to beat Atlético Madrid 2-1 at Anfield on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. Marcos Llorente gave the visitors an early lead before […]
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