Match reportVirgil van Dijk scores in stoppage time as Liverpool leave it late again to beat Atletico Madrid

Wednesday’s league-phase game at Anfield looked set to end all square after Marcos Llorente netted for the second time on the night to equalise for the visitors in the 81st minute.

Earlier, the Reds – with debutant Alexander Isak leading the line – had made a perfect start inside the first six minutes through goals from Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah.

But Llorente pulled one back on the stroke of half-time and then drew Atletico level with a deflected volley.

However, for the fifth time in as many outings, Arne Slot’s side conjured up late drama.

This time it was Van Dijk who made the telling contribution by towering above the Atletico defence to head home Dominik Szoboszlai’s 92nd-minute corner at the Kop end.

Team

Isak came in to the starting line-up as one of three changes from Sunday’s win at Burnley, with Jeremie Frimpong and Robertson also named in the XI.

Hugo Ekitike, Alexis Mac Allister and Milos Kerkez were the players to make way.

Liverpool: Alisson, Van Dijk, Konate, Wirtz (Ngumoha, 74), Szoboszlai, Isak (Ekitike, 58), Salah, Gakpo (Mac Allister, 58), Robertson (Kerkez, 86), Frimpong (Bradley, 58), Gravenberch.

Unused subs: Mamardashvili, Woodman, Gomez, Endo, Leoni, Danns.

First half

Liverpool signalled their attacking intent from the off and, with a welcome stroke of fortune, were ahead with four minutes gone as Salah’s free-kick was inadvertently diverted past Jan Oblak off Robertson’s calf.

There was, though, no luck involved when Salah himself doubled the lead a couple of minutes later. This time, the No.11 drove inside, played a neat one-two with Ryan Gravenberch and coolly rolled his finish into the bottom corner.

Salah – now outright 10th in the Champions League’s all-time top scorers list with 52 goals – was in the mood and he sent a curler narrowly off target after being found by Florian Wirtz’s pass.

After a quiet first half an hour, Isak’s influence began to grow and he shaped an effort wide prior to linking up with Wirtz and shooting, although his attempt had insufficient power to trouble Oblak.

Half-time nearly arrived without Atletico having tested Alisson Becker, but a foray forward from the visitors just before the interval ended with Llorente toe-poking in to halve their deficit.

Second half

Alisson was alert to the danger and palmed Giacomo Raspadori’s hit to safety as Atletico began the second half in more adventurous fashion.

A triple change from Slot followed before the hour mark, with Isak among the players taken off after a debut in which he showed flashes of his elite-level quality.

Salah remained on the pitch and went within a whisker of making it 3-1 at the end of a rapid counter-attack involving Wirtz and Szoboszlai, but his shot rattled the inside of the post.

Ekitike had replaced Isak and was next to have a chance to restore Liverpool’s two-goal cushion, but the No.22 was unable to connect with Salah’s cross and the chance was gone once Wirtz delayed with the loose ball at his feet.

And the Reds were made to rue those missed opportunities as the clock ticked past 80 minutes as Llorente’s volley from the edge of the penalty area deflected off Mac Allister and looped in past a wrong-footed Alisson.

However, as has been the case throughout the early stages of the campaign, Liverpool found a way to prevail late on, with their inspirational skipper the hero on this occasion.

Attendance: 59,507

• A big week at Anfield – book hospitality for Everton and Southampton games here