Champions League football returned to a full-capacity Anfield with a pulsating 3-2 victory for Liverpool over AC Milan on Wednesday night.
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Liverpool pulled off a sensational comeback to record a 3-2 win against AC Milan in their opening tie of the ongoing UEFA Champions League group stage encounters. A full-capacity Anfield saw Trent Alexander-Arnold put Liverpool in front inside 10 minutes of the Group B encounter, with his run and close-range shot hitting the net following a deflection off Fikayo Tomori. However, the tide turned soon enough as Mohamed Salah had a penalty saved by Mike Maignan before Milan struck twice in two final first-half minutes to go in front through Ante Rebic and Brahim Diaz. Salah made amends by equalising four minutes after the restart before Jordan Henderson scored the winner with a perfectly executed first-time volley from the edge of the area.
Manager Jurgen Klopp was delighted as Liverpool emerged with three points, following a thrilling encounter.
“Yeah, nearly 100 per cent of course because it was a brilliant game, very exciting and very entertaining. With 10 or 15 minutes where we lost a little bit the plot, whatever. We were not compact enough anymore, we got carried away with our own football, pretty much, and made it then complicated – which we shouldn’t have done – in our possession. Last line slightly too deep; midfield didn’t close the gaps anymore and stuff like this. So they could pass through, they scored two goals,” he said as quoted by Liverpool’s official website.
“In a moment like this, obviously the game can be decided but not tonight because we could adjust in half-time and did that. Played again really good football and scored two wonderful goals, so won the game. Everyone knew before already but now probably definitely everybody knows: AC Milan came from Pot 4 in this group – very funny! So, that’s the quality in the group. It’s really good that we won this game tonight because obviously you need each point in this group to get through,” added Klopp.
The Liverpool manager further discussed the importance of being able to manage minutes for his players.
“Very important. It’s really difficult; Virgil van Dijk, everybody who saw him warming up tonight probably thought, ‘Why is he not playing?’ But we have to be sensible in these moments. We have these three boys here in the last line who all came back from long-term injuries. We have to manage that, we can’t do it differently. Even if they are fit now, which is great. The others were no big changes, if you want, Naby Keita started already two or three games this season,” said Klopp.
“Not sure, did Hendo start the last game? Probably not, so that was clear he would start. Played a super game, both of them. Fabinho had to go through, did that, very important. Divock Origi, people forget so quick in life and football. He’s an outstanding striker and did really well tonight, especially for the long time he didn’t start. It’s just really difficult to get in this team, to be honest. That makes sometimes life a little bit uncomfortable. But he is a great guy and I’m really happy for him he could play like this tonight,” he added.
