Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Atletico Madrid: Barcola Injury Mars Major European Win

Liverpool secured a 2–1 comeback victory over Atlético Madrid on Wednesday, collecting three points in Andoni Iraola’s Champions League debut on the touchline.

It looked like history was doomed to repeat itself when Marcos Llorente opened the scoring in the 17th minute for the visitors. The Spain international loves silencing Anfield and eagerly celebrated his fifth goal in just three games at the iconic ground.

Dominik Szoboszlai answered for the Reds, finishing off a clinical backheel assist from Ronald Araújo in the 40th minute to send the hosts down the tunnel level. Liverpool carried the momentum into the second half, and a wicked strike from Alexis Mac Allister gave them the lead just five minutes after the restart.

Iraola’s men saw out the game, surviving a late push from Atlético Madrid to come out with the victory in their Champions League league phase opener. Casting a dark cloud over the celebrations, though, was Bradley Barcola’s apparent injury.

One Thing We Can’t Ignore

All eyes were on Bradley Barcola at Anfield. The blockbuster summer signing earned his first start in a red shirt, manning the right wing that previously belonged to Mohamed Salah. The stage was set for a dream Champions League night for the Frenchman, but it wound up being somewhat of a nightmare.

Barcola had a few decent looks at goal in the first half, but spent much of the opening 45 minutes on an island on the right, waiting for service. It felt like he was biding his time, waiting for his big moment, and it came just four minutes after the restart.

Florian Wirtz played a sensational ball right into Barcola’s stride in transition. The winger was through on goal, with two defenders chasing after him and Jan Oblak well off his line. Yet the former Paris Saint-Germain man pulled his shot wide, causing a sold-out crowd at Anfield to groan in unison.

Things got even worse when Barcola went down with an apparent calf injury just before the hour-mark. The 24-year-old received treatment from the team’s medical staff before he limped off the pitch, replaced by Víctor Muñoz.

Liverpool will be sweating over a fitness update on their $166 million (£123 million) signing.

Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Atlético Madrid (4-2-3-1)

Dominik Szoboszlai, Ronald Araújo — Dominik Szoboszlai (center) and Ronald Araújo combined for Liverpool’s opening goal. | Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Alisson—7.0: Nothing he could do on Llorente’s opener, but made a crucial save to deny Alvarez in the first half. Stood tall to hold the visitors to just one goal.

RB: Ronald Araújo—7.1: Caught out in transition early, but made up for it with a cheeky backheel assist to get Liverpool back in the game. Did well to hold Álex Baena quiet.

CB: Jérémy Jacquet—7.1: Still raw around the edges, but held his own. Held Alvarez goalless, which is really all you can ask of the young defender in his Champions League debut.

CB: Virgil van Dijk—7.0: Could only chase after Llorente after getting caught ball watching in the build-up to the game’s opener. Settled in nicely to stabilize his backline.

LB: Milos Kerkez—7.8: Completely outclassed by Llorente, and not just on the goal. Needed Szoboszlai’s help on multiple occasions just to stop the bleeding down the left flank. Did better in the second half to withstand the pressure.

CM: Dominik Szoboszlai—8.7: Won back possession for his team to kickstart the sequence that ended with his equalizer. Oozes with passion and a desperation to win every second he is on the pitch.

CM: Alexis Mac Allister—8.2: An early yellow card seemed to set the tone for another frustrating outing until his sensational strike. There was no better time for the Argentine to open his account this season.

RW: Bradley Barcola—6.6: The moment was there to crown his first start with a goal, but he botched a sensational counter attack with a strike that did not even hit the target. Only lasted an hour after suffering an apparent injury.

AM: Florian Wirtz—7.9: Heavily involved in all the team’s positive pushes forward. Let down by his final pass at times, and by Barcola after the restart. Still, a positive display from the German.

LW: Rio Ngumoha—6.6: Got himself into good positions with his speed and dazzling footwork. Deserved an assist for how he expertly evaded Llorente with a powerful drive inside the box leading up to Mac Allister’s goal.

ST: Alexander Isak—7.5: Looked in the mood early, but couldn’t continue his scoring run. Walked away with an assist instead.

SUB: Víctor Muñoz (60’ for Barcola)—6.6: Struggled to get involved. Only took 13 touches in 30 minutes.

SUB: Jeremie Frimpong (60’ for Ngumoha)—5.9: Thought he scored his first goal of the season, but quickly saw the offside flag deny his moment in the dying stages.

SUB: Ryan Gravenberch (69’ for Mac Allister)—6.5: Anchored the midfield. Only mustered a 71% passing accuracy.

SUB: Lewis Koumas (88’ for Isak)—N/A

SUB: Kostas Tsimikas (88’ for Kerkez)—N/A

Subs not used: Freddie Woodman (GK), Giorgi Mamardashvili (GK), James McConnell, Luke Chambers, Trey Nyoni, Jayden Danns.

What the Ratings Tell Us

Rio Ngumoha (right) held his own under the bright lights. | Carl Recine/Getty Images

Alexis Mac Allister stole headlines when he admitted he was “sad” Liverpool had not offered him a new contract. It was a poor 2025–26 for the Argentine and his start to 2026–27 wasn’t much better. Yet when the pressure was at its greatest, he pulled out a vintage strike from distance to secure all three points for Liverpool. He’ll need more of those moments to get the club to change its mind, though.
What a difference Ronald Araújo has made to Liverpool in the last two games. The Barcelona loanee took the right flank from Jeremie Frimpong and instantly elevated Iraola’s backline. He snagged his first goal contribution in a red shirt when the team needed an answer on Wednesday and was solid defensively. It’s hard to imagine Frimpong breaking back into the starting XI in big games anytime soon.
Rio Ngumoha got the nod on the left wing for the first time this season, and the teenager looked so much more comfortable playing on his favored side. The forward’s statistics from the night might not leap off the page, but he changed the game with his confident drive in the 50th minute that created the chaos that opened the door for Mac Allister’s goal. Anfield sang

Ngumoha’s name on multiple occasions before he came off at the hour-mark.

The Numbers That Explain Liverpool’s Comeback Win

Liverpool mustered 14 shots on the night, but only five were on target. Of those five, only two came in the second half. Once Barcola and Ngumoha came out of the game, the Reds lost much of their attacking threat.
The hosts were somewhat careless with the ball, only tallying a 84% passing accuracy on the night. The team completed 255 passes compared to Atlético Madrid’s 439.
For all the Reds’ defensive issues to start the season, they held Diego Simeone’s men to a 0.81xG. One laspe in judgement denied them a clean sheet.

Statistic	Liverpool	Atlético Madrid
Possession	45%	55%
Expected Goals (xG)	1.69	0.81
Total Shots	14	9
Shots on Target	5	4
Pass Accuracy	84%	85%
Fouls Committed	11	10
Corners	7	5

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