Liverpool leave it late to deliver Slot's birthday gift

Injury time is Arne time. Liverpool marked Arne Slot's 47th birthday in what has become trademark fashion: with another decisive late goal.

- RICHARD JOLLY

Liverpool 3

Robertson (4), Salah (6), Van Dijk (90+2)

Atletico Madrid 2

Llorente (45+3, 81)

The specialists in drama at the death conjured a victory they seemed to have tossed away. Virgil van Dijk planted a 92nd-minute header into the Atletico Madrid net. Like Federico Chiesa and Rio Ngumoha, like Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah before him, he got Liverpool a win from the jaws of a draw. "We found a way to win," said Van Dijk. They have done it four times in the Premier League, now once in the Champions League.

Logically it cannot carry on like this. But, somehow, it did last night. When Marcos Llorente seemed to have capped an Atletico comeback, his brace taking them from 2-0 down to the brink of a point, up popped Van Dijk, Liverpool winning another game of brinkmanship, looking flawed but finding a way.

Perhaps it was revenge of sorts for Atletico's 3-2 win at Anfield in 2020, eliminating the holders. For Diego Simeone, this was a different kind of explosive ending: the Atletico manager was sent off for his furious response to a supporter he said was abusing him. "They insult you throughout the entire match and you can't say anything because you're the manager," he said. "My reaction was unjustifiable, but do you know what it's like to be insulted for 90 minutes?"