AC Milan 1-3 Liverpool PLAYER RATINGS: Who was a constant threat for the Reds? Which defender went AWOL for Christian Pulisic’s early goal? And who was popping up everywhere?
Liverpool returned to the Champions League after coming from behind to win 3-1 over AC Milan at the San Siro.
Arne Slot’s team was surprised by a defeat in the opening phase. Christian Pulisic put the home team ahead after just three minutes.
Goals from Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk saw Liverpool turn the game around, with their defenders shooting from set-pieces.
Dominik Szoboszlai sealed Liverpool’s victory by turning in a cross from Cody Gakpo and ensured Slot celebrated his 46th birthday in style.
Mail Sport’s Kieran Gill rates the players from the opening night of the Champions League competition.
Liverpool came from behind to beat AC Milan 3-1 on their return to the Champions League
Virgil van Dijk put Liverpool ahead that night, with a goal from the captain from a set piece
Arne Slot celebrated his birthday with a first Champions League win as Liverpool manager
AC MILAN (4-2-3-1)
Mike Maignan β 5
He did his best imitation of Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario as Milan conceded two crosses, with Maignan remaining in the background until he was eventually injured.
Davide Calabria β 5
The Milan captain had to watch out for Liverpool’s constant changes of play towards his wing. Received a yellow card for a foul on Gakpo, which led to the equaliser.
Fikayo Tomori β 5
He lay sprawled on the ground and was in a fight with his goalkeeper after being knocked into the air by a determined Konate (1-1).
Strahinja Pavlovic β 5
Often he had Salah for company, as the Liverpool right winger moved inside to get closer to Jota. In those one-on-one matches, Pavlovic was often the loser.
Theo HernΓ‘ndez β 5
Sometimes he marked Salah. Other times Szoboszlai. And then Alexander-Arnold. Not the best night for one of Milan’s defenders as Liverpool woke up.
Mike Maignan fluttered twice at the cross and was later forced off the field as he struggled with an injury
Youssouf Fofana β 5.5
He was cautioned for withdrawing Salah in panic as Liverpool began to dominate the Champions League match after initially struggling in midfield.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek β 6
One of five ex-Chelsea men in the Milan squad, four of whom started. Likes to drive forward from midfield, but none of his runs have amounted to much.
Christian Pulisic β 6
Scored inside three minutes after Tsimikas neglected his defensive duties. Gladly accepted Liverpool’s gift of space and time to fire past Alisson.
Tijjani Reijnders β 5
Van Dijk should have sent him a thank-you card for the free header that put Liverpool 2-1 up, while Reijnders let his man down.
Christian Pulisic opened the scoring for AC Milan in the third minute at the San Siro
Rafael Leao was well handled by Trent Alexander-Arnold and was often too wasteful
Rafael LeΓ£o β 5
Faded after Milan’s bright start as Alexander-Arnold handled him well as the game progressed, often being too wasteful when there were chances to catch Liverpool.
Alvaro Morata β 5.5
Nice first ball around the corner for Pulisic’s goal. He threw himself on the ground next to Gakpo hoping for a penalty. No chance.
PARTS
Lorenzo Torriani (for Maignan, 51) β 6
The 19-year-old goalkeeper was thrown to the lions, but only conceded one goal.
Tammy Abraham (for Loftus-Cheek 70) β 6
A thankless task for the striker who entered the field with the score 3-1, without any chance of scoring.
Emerson Royal (for Calabria 70) β 6
The former Tottenham defenders’ only contribution was to kick Nunez in the head.
Noah Okafor (for Morata 84) β N/A
Matteo Gabbia (for Tomori 84) β N/A
MANAGER
Paulo Fonseca β 5
Conceding a goal in two almost identical set-pieces can only be frustrating.
LIVERPOOL (4-2-3-1)
Alisson β 6.5
He showed his frustration when he lost his clean sheet just before the start of the match, but from that moment on he was so relaxed he could have done a crossword puzzle.
Trent Alexander-Arnold β 7.5
The free kick from which Liverpool equalised came from one of his many right-to-left substitutions, and he won his battle with Leao with ease.
Ibrahima Konate β 7.5
There was no stopping him from levelling things for Liverpool as he charged into the six-yard box like a bull who had seen red, sparking the comeback.
Virgil van Dijk β 7.5
I saw what Konate did and thought: ‘I like that too.’ Never again an easy header, as Liverpool took advantage of Milan’s poor defense.
Konstantinos Tsimikas β 5.5
Tsimikas went AWOL when Pulisic opened the scoring early in the game, costing him dearly. But it was his corner that Van Dijk headed Liverpool into a 2-1 lead.
Ibrahima Konate leapt highest to head in a free-kick and put Liverpool back on level terms
Ryan Gravenberch β 7
Liverpool looked vulnerable in midfield at first, but they soon settled down, Gravenberch doing a professional job of protecting the defence with well-timed interceptions.
Alexis Mac Allister β 7
Should have been given an assist when he chose the right pass to Jota but was not rewarded. He also held his ground with a warning for a foul on Fofana.
Mohammed Salah β 7.5
The ball was blocked twice in the first half by the crossbar and once by Maignan, but that last chance earned Liverpool a corner that put them ahead.
Dominik Szoboszlai β 7.5
It seemed like Szoboszlai was popping up everywhere, as if his twin brother was playing at the same time, and then he scored himself.
Dominik Szoboszlai tapped in Cody Gakpo’s cross to give Liverpool a two-goal lead
Cody Gakpo was a threat from the left throughout the game and ended his evening with an assist
Cody Gakpo β 8
He didn’t score himself, but Gakpo was dangerous from the left throughout the match and finished the game with an assist for Szoboszlai, confirming his comeback victory.
Diogo Jota β 6
Should have scored when Mac Allister played him in but completely missed the target from close range. Worked well with Salah at times.
PARTS
Luis Diaz (for Gakpo 68) β 6
Did not shirk his defensive duties on the left and Liverpool won.
Darwin Nunez (for Jota 68) β 6
The occasional goal while he was busy, but in reality the visitors’ work was already done.
Joe Gomez (for Alexander-Arnold 79) β N/A
Wataru Endo (for Mac Allister 90) β N/A
Federico Chiesa (for Salah 90) β N/A
MANAGER
Arne Slot β 7
All’s well that ends well after their difficult start.
REFEREE
Espen Eskas β 6
He never let the atmosphere influence him.