UEFA Champions League: Van Dijk rescues Liverpool with stoppage time winner
The Anfield side looked in cruise control after Andy Robertson’s opener and a superb Mohamed Salah strike put them 2-0 up inside six minutes
Virgil van Dijk leaps to score Liverpool's winning goal
LONDON: Liverpool once again left it late, with captain Virgil van Dijk powering home a stoppage-time header to seal a dramatic 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday.
The Anfield side looked in cruise control after Andy Robertson’s opener and a superb Mohamed Salah strike put them 2-0 up inside six minutes. But Marcos Llorente dragged Atletico level, scoring in first-half stoppage time and again in the 81st minute.
With memories of Llorente’s 2020 double that knocked Liverpool out still fresh, it looked like more heartbreak until van Dijk rose to meet Dominik Szoboszlai’s corner in the 92nd minute.
Liverpool, under new coach Arne Slot, have now won all four Premier League games this season with goals after the 80th minute — twice deep into stoppage time. “We should have made it easier for ourselves,” Slot admitted.
PSG sparkle in Paris
Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain were ruthless at home, sweeping aside Atalanta 4-0. Nuno Mendes, Achraf Hakimi and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia were all on target, while Bradley Barcola’s missed penalty was a mere footnote. Coach Luis Enrique said: “It’s a joy to see such a performance. I think our fans can be happy.”
With the Ballon d’Or ceremony set for Paris on Monday, PSG are campaigning for the injured Ousmane Dembélé to take the prize, though Mendes and Hakimi also staked claims with their attacking display.
Revenge for Bayern and Inter
Bayern Munich got belated revenge for their 2012 final defeat to Chelsea, beating the London side 3-1 in Germany. Harry Kane netted twice, while England teammate Cole Palmer struck for Chelsea.
Inter Milan, meanwhile, toppled Ajax 2-0 in Amsterdam thanks to a Marcus Thuram brace, avenging their loss in the 1972 European Cup final.
Unbeaten newcomers
This season’s debutants showed they belong. Norway’s Bodo/Glimt came from two down to snatch a 2-2 draw at Slavia Prague, Sondre Brunstad Fet equalising with a stunning 90th-minute volley. Cyprus’s Pafos, reduced to 10 men in the first half, held Olympiakos 0-0. Earlier, Belgian champions Union Saint-Gilloise stunned PSV Eindhoven 3-1 away.
The fourth newcomer, Kairat Almaty, face Sporting Lisbon on Thursday after a gruelling 7,000km journey from Kazakhstan.
