Mac Allister winner answers contract questions but worrying Liverpool trend emerges

If Liverpool made Alexis Mac Allister very, very sad , in his own words, he made Anfield very, very happy here. Andoni Iraola ’s introduction to the Champions League was eventful and, eventually, enjoyable. Liverpool beat last season’s semi-finalists with a stunning goal from a World Cup winner. A day after some unexpected revelations, Mac Allister let his football do the talking , and how. For Iraola, a first European night at Anfield offered an insight into their power. For his team, a comeback victory provided an uplifting end to an evening that still had its unsatisfactory elements. There was a concern that Bradley Barcola sustained a calf injury on his full debut. Liverpool’s defending in the first half presented a different kind of worry. This was frenetic and flawed; fractious at times, too. Maybe Mac Allister’s relationship with Liverpool has become more awkward. If so, however, they might have benefited from some creative tension. Mac Allister had gone public with his disappointment after Liverpool told him they were not in a position to offer him a new contract. This was the right kind of way to change their minds, with an unstoppable shot, drilled in from 20 yards. That it came from Mac Allister’s less favoured left foot shows the technique the Argentinian possesses. Perhaps, though, it was unsurprising he scored. Mac Allister is shaping up as the scourge of Madrid, a scorer against Real in both 2024 and 2025 and now Atletico in 2026. His name was chorused when he was substituted. Often outnumbered, Liverpool’s midfield struggled at times but their goals nevertheless came from midfielders. Dominik Szoboszlai was Liverpool’s outstanding player in last year's Champions League, with five goals and four assists. He offered hope of a similarly productive continental campaign, finding the far corner with a low shot, following a backheel from Ronald Araujo, to equalise. It came seconds after Jan Oblak denied Barcola a maiden Liverpool goal; Iraola, with his fondness for vertical football and pressing, was presumably pleased it all stemmed from Milos Kerkez coming forward to win the ball from Kang-in Lee. It was a redemptive moment for the Hungarian, who was culpable for the Atleti goal. Szoboszlai scored the equaliser as Liverpool came from behind again (Reuters) Barcola had come off the bench at Ipswich on Friday. His first start since his £106m move came on the right wing, in Mohamed Salah’s old role. He really ought to have marked it with his first goal, particularly when, four minutes after half-time, Florian Wirtz sent him speeding through the heart of the Atletico defence. But Barcola rolled his shot past the post to highlight questions about his finishing. There were three missed chances in all before the Frenchman went off. By then, Liverpool had made history of sorts with three £100m men on the pitch together; from one move involving all three, Wirtz had a shot saved by Jan Oblak, though his supplier, Alexander Isak, was offside. The Swede had shown Liverpool’s initial attacking intent, unleashing a shot after 16 seconds, when Szoboszlai powered forward. But, for the third time in four games under Iraola, Liverpool went behind. They were opened up all too easily and conceded to their unlikely nemesis. Marcos Llorente has scored 10 Champions League goals and, astonishingly, half have come on Merseyside. The Spaniard called his dog “Anfield” after a brace in 2020. He may be wondering what else to name after Liverpool’s home, because he got an Anfield double last year and now another goal here. Marcos Llorente enjoyed another visit to Anfield (Reuters) Julian Alvarez provided the defence-splitting pass. Llorente darted beyond Kerkez to supply the assured finish. It was an issue with Iraola’s high defensive line, but also with his erratic left-back. This was Alvarez’s first start since a summer spent dreaming of a move to Barcelona. The pass indicated why Atleti were so keen to keep him. So, too, was a 25-yard shot that drew a terrific save from Alisson. At that stage, Atleti were superior. Liverpool failed to track the runs from their wing-backs and were not applying enough pressure on the ball in midfield. But they showed the greater running power in the second half. Atleti, beaten 3-2 at Anfield at this stage last season, began another European campaign with another defeat. It did not stop Diego Simeone’s side from reaching the last four last year. They may hope history repeats itself. So, in a different way, might Liverpool. First and third in the league phase in the last two seasons, they made a fine start to their third campaign in this format. Their two top-ranked opponents are Atletico and Inter, and they have already beaten one. They were watched by a Champions League-winning manager, a former Inter manager and a Madrid native, in Rafa Benitez. The Spaniard’s loyalties as a boy lay with Real Madrid. It gave him an added reason to savour Mac Allister’s strike.