Every Liverpool Player Rated After Anfield’s Champions League Opener

Our take on this one starts with the scoreline rather than the performance. Liverpool needed a spell of second half control to turn a shaky opening period into three points against Atletico Madrid at Anfield, with Diego Simeone’s side pressing hard early on and forcing some uncomfortable moments before Iraola’s team found the answers that mattered. Here is how we rated every player involved on a night that swung more than the final score suggests.

Back Four and Alisson

• Alisson Becker, 7/10. Beaten by a gap that opened up in front of him for the early goal conceded, the Brazilian settled quickly and dealt calmly with everything else Atletico threw at him.
• Ronald Araújo, 8/10. Composed at the back all night and the man who teed up Liverpool’s leveller, he barely put a foot wrong either side of half time.
• Milos Kerkez, 6/10. Caught square for the opener and slow to get going, though he steadied himself and defended his line far better once the game settled down.
• Jérémy Jacquet, 8/10. A big occasion for the young Frenchman, who looked unflustered by the goal conceded around him and read the second half superbly.
• Virgil van Dijk, 8/10, our Man of the Match. A touch slow to react for the Atletico goal, the captain then took charge of the closing stages and drove his side over the line.

Midfield Duo

• Alexis Mac Allister, 8/10. The play of the match belonged to him, and deservedly so, dropping deep to dictate play before smashing home the winner from distance and being withdrawn late having done his job.
• Dominik Szoboszlai, 8/10. Restless and full of running throughout, he was central to working Liverpool back into the contest and finished the half with an equaliser born from sheer persistence.

Front Three

• Alexander Isak, 7/10. Always a threat in behind and constantly probing for gaps, the Swede set up Mac Allister’s winner before making way in the closing stages.
• Rio Ngumoha, 6/10. Bright in flashes cutting inside from the left but faded as the game opened up, and was the first attacker withdrawn.
• Bradley Barcola, 6/10. Unfortunate not to test the goalkeeper more from a tight angle and appeared to be suffering from cramp by the time he was replaced.

The Bench and the Manager

• Jeremie Frimpong, 6/10, on for the final half hour. Brought on to add extra thrust down the flank.
• Víctor Muñoz, 7/10, on for the final half hour. Injected some unpredictability the game badly needed at that point.
• Ryan Gravenberch, 5/10, introduced after the hour. A quieter cameo, brought on simply to help see the game out with fresh legs.
• Lewis Koumas, 6/10, given a late run out. Helped Liverpool manage the closing stages.
• Kostas Tsimikas, 6/10, given a late run out. Used in the same way to close the game down.

Andoni Iraola, 8/10.

Made the right calls at the interval, having rested Cody Gakpo as a precaution beforehand, and freshened things up at the right moments as Liverpool saw the game out.

This was far from Liverpool’s smoothest night in Europe, but results built on resilience rather than dominance tend to matter just as much across a long Champions League campaign. Iraola will have plenty to work on before the group stage continues, yet three points on the board is three points on the board.