Liverpool vs. Atletico Madrid score: UEFA Champions League result, stats as Van Dijk stars in Reds' latest late show

Virgil van Dijk headed a stoppage-time winner to keep up Liverpool's remarkable record of late deciders this season, with Arne Slot's men battling to an absorbing 3-2 UEFA Champions League win over Atletico Madrid.

It looked like being a procession for the Premier League champions, who were 2-0 up inside six minutes thanks to Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah.

But a new-look Atleti put in a performance steeped in Diego Simeone lore to claw their way back thanks to a brace from Marcos Llorente, who also scored twice in a last-16 triumph on this ground in 2020.

Liverpool responded with waves of pressure, Atletico fell perilously and predictably deep and Van Dijk powered home Dominik Szobozlai's 92nd-minute corner. It follows stoppage time winners at Newcastle and Burnley. Furthermore, Liverpool have not been leading any of their five matches this season in the 82nd minute; they've won all of them.

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Liverpool vs. Atletico Madrid score

Venue: Anfield, Liverpool
Referee: Maurizio Mariani (Italy)

Starting Lineups:

Liverpool (4-2-3-1, right to left): 1. Alisson (GK) — 30. Jeremie Frimpong (12. Conor Bradley), 5. Ibrahima Konate, 4. Virgil van Dijk, 26. Andy Robertson (6. Milos Kerkez) — 38. Ryan Gravenberch, 8. Dominik Szoboszlai — 11. Mohamed Salah, 7. Florian Wirtz (73. Rio Ngumoha), 18. Cody Gakpo (10. Alexis Mac Allister) — 9. Alexander Isak (22. Hugo Ekitike)

Atletico Madrid (4-4-2, right to left): 13. Jan Oblak (GK) — 14. Marcos Llorente, 24. Robin Le Normand, 15. Clement Lenglet, 21. Javi Galan — 20. Giuliano Simeone, 8. Pablo Barrios, 4. Conor Gallagher (16. Nahuel Molina), 23. Nico Gonzalez — 7. Antoine Griezmann (9. Alexander Sorloth), 22. Giacomo Raspadori (6. Koke)

The hosts got off to a flying start, with Andy Robertson unwittingly turning home Mohamed Salah's fourth-minute free-kick after Clement Lenglet brought down Ryan Gravenberch right on the edge of the Atletico box.

If there was a touch of fortune about that, the second, within a couple of minutes, was down to Salah's brilliance. The superstar winger darted in off the right flank, exchanged passes with Gravenberch and held off the attentions of three defenders to slot home.

From that point, Liverpool's early sharpness blunted a touch and Atleti felt their way into the contest. A penalty awarded for handball against Lenglet was correctly overturned when replays showed Jeremie Frimpong's cross bounced up off the defender's thigh and stomach before striking his arm.

In first-half stoppage time, Giacomo Raspadori sprung the offside trap and fed Llorente to prod home. The officials decided Antoine Griezmann was not impeding Liverpool goalkeeper Allison from his offside position.

Liverpool continued to look the most assertive team and Salah rattled the inside of the post after the hour. Simeone spun through substitutions and formation changes, lending a ragged feel to proceedings at times.

Perhaps that was just what he wanted and there were scenes of delirium in the away dugout when Llorente's 81st-minute volley deflected home off substitute Alexis Mac Allister. That mood turned considerably after Van Dijk's decider, with Simeone sent off after an apparent flashpoint involving members of his staff and some Liverpool supporters.

Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid stats

Liverpool vs. Atletico Madrid live updates, highlights, and commentary

Fulltime

Liverpool have not been winning any of their games after 82 minutes this season. They've not been winning four of the five in the 88th minute. They've not been winning three in stoppage time. They've won all five. Surely this can't keep happening. Atletico deserve great credit for coming back from their nightmare start. Marcos Llorente would love to play here every week. But Liverpool keep Liverpooling. You can't say it for all their wins this season, but they definitely deserved this one, all things considered. Thanks for joining us.

90+6 mins: Another change for Ekitike, who hits Salah's cross into the turf and over. He should bury that.

90+5 mins: Ekitike looks to be in for a fourth but Oblak is there.

90+4 mins: Simeone still not leaving. He finally does.

90+3 mins: It looks like it's kicked off between Liverpool fans and members of the Atletico bench, Simeone gets himself sent off. 

90+2 mins: GOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLLLL!!!!!! Virgil van Dijk

This one isn't cleared. Van Dijk with a thumping header. Wallop!

90+2 mins: This is all being played in the Atleti third. They're soooooo deep. Another corner cleared.

90 mins: Oblak comes through traffic to smartly punch a Salah cross clear. There'll be four added minutes.

89 mins: Bradley stoops to get to this one and it runs behind the netting. Some fans thought that had snuck in.

88 mins: Ekitike wins a corner. After a couple of injury time winners and a couple of other really rather late winners, can Liverpool do it again. Van Dijk's header is deflected behind for another corner.

86 mins: Giuliano Simeoen thinks he's in but is pulled back for a foul on Bradley. Kerkez replaces Robertson in the hosts' final change.

85 mins: Bradley fizzes over a cross and Molina clears behind. Szoboszlai over the corner. There's a clatter of bodies in there, calls for a penalty and Konate heads wide. There'll be no penalty.

81 mins: GOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLL!!!!!! Marcos Llorente!!!!!!

Oh my word, Llorente has done it again. Barrios's shot riccochets back towards the midfielder and his volley deflects off Mac Allister to leave Alisson helpless.

77 mins: Marc Pubill, a right-back by trade, is on for Nico. Atleti going to a back five, presumably with Galan and Molina getting license to get forward from wing-back.

75 mins: Wirtz makes way after another pretty frustrating night in a Liverpool shirt. Teenage winger Rio Ngumoha comes on.

74 mins: Llorente on the charge, His left footed effort looks for all the world as if it's deflected over. Goal kick. Llorente is angry, so is Simeone. Another member of Atleti's backroom team gets a booking.

72 mins: Atleti causing some nervous sighs and gasps inside Anfield as Koke has a shot blocked. Here come the hosts on the break, though, led by Salah. He stands up a cross for Ekitike, the header falls for Wirtz but the Germany star can't get the shot away.

70 mins: Simeone typically animated as he dances over the touchline to givce his latest instructions. Szoboszlai honks a cross out of play and the Atleti manager tells his players to calm down, which feels a bit rich.

67 mins: Atletico look all over the place after the recent substitutions. Wirtz is free at the back post. He touches it back to Erkitike, who pops a bouncing ball over.

65 mins: Salah hits the post! Liverpool slice through Atletico on the break, Salah is the spare man and looks certain to score, only to clatter against the inside of the right post.

64 mins: Molina is over at right-back, meaning the goalscorer Llorente is into midfield.

61 mins: Double Atleti change, with Sorloth and Molina on for Griezmann and Gallagher.

59 mins: It's a triple change for Liverpool, with Isak, Frimpong and Gakpo making way for Ekitike, Bradley and Mac Allister. The latter of those changes means Wirtz out to the left and Liverpool reverting to their title-winning midfield three from last season.

57 mins: Another teasing ball from the left but Szoboszlai's header is blocked.

55 mins: Nice play from Wirtz and Frimpong batters a cross against Gallagher to win the corner. Ekitike and Bradley about to join us, which means Isak's race is probably run. Atleti clear the corner, Wirtz has a crossing opportunity on the right and it's straight into Oblak's gloves.

52 mins: That's Raspadori's last act, which will mean change in formation. 

51 mins: Raspadori gets around Gravenberch and fires goalwards from a tight angle. Alisson makes the save and Van Dijk honks it into the stand.

50 mins: Robertson pops a cross towards Isak that he just can't connect with, Lenglet blocks and there's a Liverpool foul in there somewhere, Veteran Atleti midfielder Koke about to enter the fray.

48 mins: Griezmann, who's sporting a quite remarkable, straggly mullet, tries to work an opportunity with Nico but Liverpool clear their lines.

Kickoff: 2nd Half

Off we go again. No changes for either side just yet. Maybe Isak will get an hour?

Halftime

Well, after the start that made this look like a pending Liverpool turkey shoot, we might just have a game on our hands. Ultimately, though, you get the impression Slot's men will shift through the gears after the break and end the argument. We'll soon see!

45+3 mins: GOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLL!!!!! Marcos Llorente

Now then! Nico springs the offside trap, feeds Llorente and the full-back prods into Alisson's far corner. He loves Anfield and scored twice in his natural position of central midfield in the 2020 game. Griezmann was offside but deemed nbot to be interfering with the Liverpool goalkeeper's line of sight.

Atlético Madrid pull one back against Liverpool through Marcos Llorente 👀

📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/lxdUi8LIwo

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 17, 2025

45+1 mins: Griezmann corner from the left but the referee spots a shove at the near post. We're into four minutes of added time.

43 mins: Wirz warming into the game too. Quick exchange of passes and he rounds Oblak. The ball falls to Frimpong but Galan makes the block.

41 mins: Isak getting a little warmer, spinning in from the left but shoots too close to Oblak.

40 mins: Salah, who's been electric tonight, on the prowl into the box again but can't make contact.

39 mins: Wirtz steers a pass into Isak, who turns and shoots wide from the edge of the box.

37 mins: Wirtz's outswinger is cleared at the near post.

36 mins: PENALTY OVERTURNED! The replays showed Lenglet managed to avoid the ball hitting his arm altogether. Corner to Liverpool!

35 mins: PENALTY TO LIVERPOOL! Lenglet slides to block a Frimpong cross, the linesman signals for a corner but referee Mariani points to the spot. We've gone to VAR... surelty this isn't a penalty as it deflected up off Lenglet's thigh and into his arm. 

34 mins: Atletico left-back Galan now needing a bit of attention from the medical staff. During the break, Szoboszlai appeared to be giving Isak some tactical pointers.

32 mins: Liverpool's No. 9 is carrying on after a bit of treatment.

31 mins: Le Normand is booked but there's no free-kick as advantage was played. Isak still down...

30 mins: Half a chance for Isak, who goes down under Le Normand's challenge. Salah fires goalwards and Oblak clings on at the second attempt.

22 mins: Another decent couple of situations for Atleti down Liverpool's left channel. Simeone's low ball is cut out by Konate unfussily.

21 mins: Salah cuts inside and curls a trademark effort just wide of the far post. Oblak wasn't getting there.

20 mins: Gravenberch is sold short in central midfield and is chased all the way back to his own area by Raspadori. Liverpool just need to sharpen things back up a touch.

17 mins: Poor chipped clearance from Alisson and Atleti work it well to Gallagher, who's into the box down the right channel and chips in a nice cross from which Raspadori and Simeone can't capitalise.

16 mins: This is turning into the sort of end-to-end game Atletico would not have wanted but they don't really have a choice. Raspadori lines up a shot from 25 yards but scuffs it and it's easy work for Alisson.

14 mins: Isak cuts inside, the crowd roar but he's crowded out. Atleti belatedly clear and break through Nico, who wants. a free-kick after a challenge from Van Dijk but it's not forthcoming.

11 mins: Robertson catches Simeone in the face with a stray hand. it's a free-kick but no more. The Atleti winger went down a touch theatrically. I guess they could do with a red card because this instantly looks absolutely hopeless for them. Liverpool all over them in every department.

6 mins: GOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLL!!!!! Mohamed Salah!!!!

Oh my, this has quickly got out of hand. Salah darts inside, plays a one-two with Gravenberch and slots home. Atleitco so static at the back.

4 mins: GOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLL!!!!! Andy Robertson!!!!

Salah drills the free-kick low, Robertson is turned away and it goes in. Didn't know much about it and doesn't mind.

3 mins: Gravenberch nicks the ball around Lenglet, who has nowhere to go and brings the Dutchman down. Free-kick to Liverpool right on the edge of the box. Wirtz and Salah over it.

Kickoff: 1st Half

Off we go. Liverpool kicking towads the Anfield Road End.

5 mins: You'll Never Walk Alone done and the teams are in the tunnel. Ready for lift-off.

20 mins before kickoff: The teams were just read out. The biggest roar, by miles, was for Isak. Atletico fans in the corner away to my left are making themselves heard. Their form has been pretty wretched so far this season and few people five them a chance of getting anything. So yeah, just the sort of situation that brings Diego Simeone back to the well time after time.

40 mins before kickoff: So, Isak being in with Wirtz makes this feel like the all-bell-and-whistles version of Liverpool. Szoboszlai and Gravenberch are the men in possession in central midfield too, the former making his 100th Reds appearance. Alexis Mac Allister is among the substitutes.

1 hour before kickoff: Here's the Atletico XI. Giacomo Raspadori gets the nod to start alongside Antoine Griezmann up front in Julian Alvarez's absence. Former Chelsea man Conor Gallagher is part of what will be a typically hard-working Atletico midfield four.

🚨 TEAM NEWS 🚨

Our starting XI against Liverpool 💪 pic.twitter.com/WOqpwK0EQm

— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) September 17, 2025

1 hr 15 mins before kickoff: The teams are in and the big news is that Alexander Isak starts, making his keenly anticipated Liverpool debut.

Team news is IN for our Champions League clash with Atlético Madrid 👊 #UCL

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 17, 2025

1 hr 30 mins before kickoff: Liverpool claimed home and away wins over Atletico in the 2021/22 group stage. In March 2020, Atletico won an instant classic that simultaneously felt pretty dark in the wider context. We took a look back at the last great game before everything stopped.

MORE: Liverpool vs. Atletico Madrid 2020 revisited: Simeone's Anfield masterpiece as COVID crisis loomed

2 hours before kickoff. Hello and welcome to The Sporting News' live coverage of Liverpool vs. Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. Arne Slot's men have made a perfect start to the Premier League season with four wins out of four, while Atlet have found the going a lot tougher in La Liga. How much will that mean on an early autumn night at Anfield?

Liverpool vs. Atletico Madrid kick off time

The UEFA Champions League match kicks off in Liverpool at 8 p.m. local time.

Here's how that time translates across some of the major territories:

Liverpool vs. Atletico Madrid lineups, team news

Liverpool have two absentees in the midfield: Curtis Jones, who suffered a muscle injury earlier this month, and Stefan Bajcetic, who has been out with a hamstring issue since May.

The big news is that Liverpool fans get to see Alexander Isak make his debut as part of the starting XI. Slot mentioned the Swedish star requires time to build up his fitness, having missed the preseason. He confirmed on Tuesday that Isak would be unable to play 90 minutes.

Jeremie Frimpong, meanwhile, has recovered from a hamstring injury and makes the starting XI.

Liverpool starting XI (4-2-3-1, right to left): Alisson (GK) — Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson — Gravenberch, Szoboszlai — Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo — Isak

Liverpool subs: Mamardashvili (GK), Woodman (GK), Gomez, Endo, Kerkez, Bradley, Mac Allister, Leoni, Ekitike, Ngumoha, Danns.

Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone has a tough job at hand with naming the starting XI against Liverpool, as the La Liga side have quite a list of players with injuries and doubts over their fitness.

Even though the Rojiblancos bagged their first win this season on Saturday, the match saw Julian Alvarez, David Hancko, Nico Gonzalez, and Robin Le Normand leave the pitch with fitness issues. Alvarez is the only one of that quartet to miss out. Nico and Le Normand start, with Hancko among the substitutes.

Atletico are also missing Jose Maria Gimenez, Thiago Almada, and Alex Baena due to their respective injuries, while Johnny Cardoso sustained an ankle problem in training.

Atletico Madrid starting XI (4-4-2, right to left): Oblak (GK) — Llorente, Le Normand, Lenglet, Galan — Simeone, Barrios, Gallagher, Nico — Griezmann, Raspadori

Atletico Madrid subs: Musso (GK), Esquivel (GK), Ruggeri, Koke, Martín, Molina, Hancko, Pubill, Zanzi, Belid, Sorloth.

Liverpool vs. Atletico Madrid live stream, TV channel

Here is how to watch the match in some of the world's major regions: