Iraola Celebrates Liverpool's Victory Against Atletico Madrid

Liverpool began their Champions League campaign with a 2-1 comeback win over Atletico Madrid on September 9, 2026, marking a successful start for their new manager, Andoni Iraola, in Europe’s top competition. Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, and Arsenal also commenced their campaigns with victories as prestigious clubs made their mark in the tournament.

Holders Paris Saint-Germain made a smooth start to their bid for a third consecutive Champions League title as Ferran Torres scored a hat-trick in a 6-1 rout of Slovan Bratislava on the same day. Meanwhile, Liverpool fought back to claim a victory against Atletico Madrid. Barcelona started their campaign with an impressive five-goal performance against Feyenoord, while Arsenal secured a 1-0 victory at Napoli. PSG, aiming to become only the fourth club to win three European Cups in a row, faced Manchester City and hosted Barcelona in their next two fixtures.

“It is the Champions League; we always play against tough teams, but we have to be focused first in Ligue 1 because we didn't start in the right way,” Torres stated, as PSG sought to improve after a rocky start in domestic play.

At Anfield, Liverpool notched up successive victories following a Premier League win at Ipswich the previous week. Atletico took the lead in the 17th minute when Julian Alvarez set up Marcos Llorente, who skillfully chipped the ball over Alisson to score. Llorente has now tallied five goals in three visits to Anfield, having netted twice during their last season's encounter and in a dramatic last-16 victory in 2020.

Liverpool responded five minutes before halftime with Dominik Szoboszlai finding the net, assisted by a clever backheeled pass from Ronald Araujo. Alexis Mac Allister then fired Liverpool ahead five minutes into the second half with a precise left-footed strike from outside the box, and Atletico could not find an equalizer.

After the match, Andoni Iraola expressed his delight, saying, "I've loved it. The atmosphere has been incredible, and I feel lucky, lucky to experience it."

This victory placed Liverpool firmly in a positive trajectory as they looked to continue their ascent in the tournament.