Iraola praises Liverpool’s character after Atletico comeback in Champions League

Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola praised his players’ resilience after they recovered from a difficult start to beat Atletico de Madrid 2-1 at Anfield on Wednesday in their opening UEFA Champions League league-phase match.

Liverpool fell behind after 16 minutes but responded with goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai to complete another comeback and claim three valuable points at the beginning of their European campaign.

“It is difficult to ask for more than that,” Iraola told TNT Sports, in comments reported by the BBC. “I think we showed great character, especially from the players after the difficult start.”

The manager also praised the atmosphere inside Anfield, describing the occasion as a memorable experience.

“I really enjoyed the atmosphere. It was amazing, and I feel lucky to have experienced something like this,” he said.

Iraola admitted Atletico’s tactical approach had caught him by surprise, with the Spanish side starting in a 5-3-2 formation and deploying five defenders.

“I take some responsibility for the start because they surprised me a little tactically,” he said. “They played with five defenders, in a 5-3-2.”

Liverpool needed time to adjust, but Iraola felt his team improved significantly after the interval.

“We expected something different and had to wait until we could correct things,” he added. “After the break, we played a much better game, pressed better and I think we became the better team.”

Mac Allister and Szoboszlai were both praised for the quality of their goals and their contribution to Liverpool’s performance.

“It was a great goal from Alexis, and Dominik’s goal was great as well,” said Iraola. “They worked very hard and ran a lot.”

Mac Allister had already been booked during the match, but Iraola said the midfielder handled the situation intelligently after Atletico attempted to provoke a second yellow card.

“Alexis was very clever,” he said. “I think the first yellow card was very harsh, and they were trying to put pressure on him to get the second one. He is an intelligent player and managed the situation.”

Iraola also played down concerns over injuries following the match, saying the problems were limited to cramp, particularly for Bradley Barcola.

“No, it is only some cramp, especially for Bradley,” he said.

“We are rushing his return a little. We wanted him to be there, but in the end we decided to tell him: give us everything you have, and that is the maximum you can give us. We will see how their recovery goes before the next game.”

The victory was Liverpool’s latest comeback after their matches against Nottingham Forest and Newcastle. Iraola said the team still had work to do in the opening stages of games, despite being pleased with the mentality shown against Atletico.

“I enjoyed it. Atletico are a very good team and have excellent technical players, especially in midfield,” he said. “It is not easy to press those players because they have so much quality.”

“They have played together for a long time. We managed another comeback after the games against Nottingham Forest and Newcastle. We still have something to improve in the starts of matches, but I am happy that we showed the character required.”

Iraola concluded: “This is the Champions League, and there are no easy games.”