Alexis Mac Allister answered his critics in the most emphatic way possible, netting a stunning late winner as Liverpool came from behind to beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 in Andoni Iraola's first ever Champions League match in charge at Anfield.
The Argentine midfielder had revealed a day earlier that he was "very sad" after Liverpool declined to offer him a new contract, even as teammates Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch were handed extensions. But Mac Allister put any frustration to constructive use, driving home an unstoppable left-footed effort from 20 yards after Rio Ngumoha's cross deflected off Alexander Isak into his path.
The victory continued Diego Simeone's miserable record against English sides in the Champions League group phase, now stretching to 11 matches without a win. It also gave Iraola a triumphant introduction to continental management at Anfield, following his summer arrival at the club.
Liverpool started brightly, with Isak firing wide inside the opening 16 seconds after a driving run from Szoboszlai, and Bradley Barcola - making his first start since his £106m move from Paris Saint-Germain - also tested Jan Oblak early on. Yet it was Atletico who took control for large parts of the first half, their midfield trio dominating possession before Julian Alvarez, starting for the first time this season following his failed summer move to Barcelona, threaded a defence-splitting pass for Marcos Llorente to run through and beat Alisson.
It was another familiar nightmare for Liverpool supporters, as Llorente extended his remarkable record at Anfield to five Champions League goals in three visits. The Spaniard was kept onside by a struggling Milos Kerkez, who endured a difficult evening defensively before playing a key role in the equaliser.
Liverpool drew level five minutes before the break through a slick move: Kerkez won the ball back inside Atletico's half, found Barcola on the right, and after the Frenchman's effort was saved, Florian Wirtz kept the move alive before Ronald Araujo's clever backheel teed up Szoboszlai to fire in from the edge of the box.
Barcola, deployed on the right in place of the rested Cody Gakpo, should have given Liverpool the lead early in the second half when Wirtz sent him clean through, but he rolled his shot agonisingly wide of the far post. The winger later went off with what appeared to be a calf issue after a promising full debut that included two clear openings.
Liverpool made the breakthrough moments later, though, as their high press paid dividends and Ngumoha's cross took a deflection off Isak into Mac Allister's path. The midfielder instructed Szoboszlai to leave the ball before smashing home the winner with his weaker foot.
"Lovely goal from Alexis," said Iraola after the match, praising his side's character. "I loved it - the atmosphere has been incredible. We have shown big character."
Szoboszlai, asked whether Araujo's assist for his goal was intentional, joked: "You have to ask him if he meant it."
Simeone was left to rue his side's dip after the interval. "In the first half we played well and in the second we didn't and then you start to commit errors and mistakes and all the effort you put in is just an anecdote," the Atletico coach said, while praising Alvarez's display: "Julian was fantastic, he wanted the ball from minute one to minute 90."
Iraola also admitted he had been caught out tactically by Simeone's back-three setup. "I think I have to take blame from the beginning because they surprised me a little bit tactically," he said. "They played a five."
Despite the shaky start, the win marked Liverpool's fourth game of the season in which they have come from behind, and gave Iraola a memorable first home victory in Europe's premier competition.
Based on reporting from The Independent, The Guardian, and The Standard.