Liverpool once again proved their mastery of the late, dramatic victory, leaving a frustrated Diego Simeone and Atletico Madrid stunned at a raucous Anfield. In a pulsating Champions League encounter, Virgil van Dijk's 92nd-minute header completed a thrilling 2-1 comeback, maintaining the Reds' perfect start to Group B.
The visitors had taken a shock lead against the run of play in the first half, capitalising on a rare defensive lapse. Antoine Griezmann's clinical finish silenced the home crowd and suggested an upset was on the cards. The French forward then thought he had doubled Atletico's advantage, only for a correct VAR intervention to rule the effort out for a marginal offside.
The momentum shifted irrevocably just before the 52-minute mark. Griezmann, from hero to villain, was shown a straight red card for a dangerously high boot caught on the neck of Roberto Firmino, reducing the Spanish champions to ten men.
Liverpool's relentless pressure finally told just eight minutes later. A moment of magic from Mohamed Salah, weaving through a crowded penalty area, resulted in a deflected shot that looped beyond Jan Oblak to level the score.
Despite their numerical advantage, Liverpool were forced to wait until the dying moments to find the winner. As the clock ticked into injury time, a perfectly delivered corner found the towering Virgil van Dijk, who powered a header goalwards. The ball squirmed under Oblak's grasp, sparking scenes of unbridled joy at the Kop end and sealing a memorable European night.
The result leaves Liverpool firmly in control of their group with three wins from three, while Atletico's campaign is now on a knife-edge following this heartbreaking defeat.
