Liverpool came from behind to defeat Atletico Madrid 2-1 at Anfield on Wednesday to open their Champions League qualifying campaign with a victory.
Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister scored for the host side after Marcos Llorente had given the Spanish visitors an early lead in the opening round of fixtures.
The result leaves Liverpool in tenth place in the Champions League standings, while Atletico Madrid occupy 28th position after recording their first defeat of the European competition.
Llorente strikes before Szoboszlai equalises
Atletico Madrid opened the scoring in the 17th minute of the match following a quick attacking combination. Julian Alvarez played a precise through ball into the path of Llorente, who broke into the penalty area and finished face-to-face against Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson.
Liverpool responded five minutes before the interval to draw level in the 40th minute. Following a contest for possession inside the penalty box, Ronald Araujo passed the ball with a backheel to Szoboszlai, who directed his finish into the corner of the net past Jan Oblak.
Mac Allister completes second half turnaround
The home side pushed for a winner after the restart and completed their comeback just five minutes into the second half. Barcola dribbled past Llorente along the wing and sent a cross into the penalty area, which the Atletico defense cleared only as far as the edge of the box.
Mac Allister reacted fastest to the clearance on the rebound, striking a powerful shot that beat Oblak and hit the back of the net to give Liverpool the lead and secure all three points.
European giants meet at Anfield
Liverpool Football Club are six-time European champions and compete in the English Premier League. Their home stadium, Anfield, located in Liverpool, is renowned throughout world football for its atmosphere and historic European matchdays.
Atletico Madrid, based in the Spanish capital, are regular competitors in European football and one of La Liga's leading clubs. The match featured top international talent on both sides, including Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson for the hosts and Slovenian goalkeeper Oblak for the visitors.
Hungarian midfielder Szoboszlai and Argentine World Cup winner Mac Allister are key figures in Liverpool's squad, while French forward Barcola provided the vital cross during the second half sequence.
The UEFA Champions League is Europe's premier club competition, featuring the continent's top teams battling in a single league phase. Liverpool took three points from their opening fixture, while Atletico Madrid will aim to recover in their next match of the tournament.
