Liverpool bounced back from defeat at the weekend by beating Milan 3-1 in their first Champions League game under Arne Slot.
A riveting first half saw Liverpool’s centre-backs reign supreme, with Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk scoring from close range after Christian Pulisic had given Milan an early lead.
Dominik Szoboszlai provided a third for Liverpool in the second half to secure an important victory on matchday one of the new-look Champions League.
How the game unfolded
After falling to a 1-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest at the weekend, Liverpool were in desperate need of a reaction in their Champions League opener. However, they were handed an early blow to the nose instead as Milan raced into the lead after just three minutes.
Some poor defensive work down Liverpool’s left-hand side allowed Pulisic to sprint unchallenged towards Alisson’s goal and the former Chelsea winger fired a low drive beyond the Brazilian into the far corner.
After a shaky start to proceedings, Liverpool started to find their feet after 15 minutes and came close to an equaliser through Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian’s quick feet manufactured a shooting opportunity but his powerful right-footed effort slammed the underside of the crossbar.
Liverpool didn’t have to wait long for their leveller though. The 23rd minute offered the Reds their route back into the match after Trent Alexander-Arnold’s delicate cross was nodded home by Konate from just six yards out.
The visitors swiftly found themselves in the ascendancy as Diogo Jota fluffed a fantastic opportunity and Salah hammered the crossbar for a second time, but Van Dijk’s close-range header did eventually hand Liverpool a deserved one-goal advantage heading into the break.
Liverpool’s evening could have got much better just moments after the restart but Jota’s effort was well smothered by Mike Maignan, with the Milan goalkeeper swiftly withdrawn due to injury after denying the Portuguese.
Slot’s men did eventually grab the all-important fourth goal of the game and it was the brilliance of Cody Gakpo that helped Liverpool secure their two-goal cushion. The Dutchman broke clear of the Milan defence and glided beyond Strahinja Pavlovic before setting Szoboszlai up for a simple finish.
Van Dijk came close to a brace when he headed over from another dangerous Liverpool set piece and Darwin Nunez snatched at two half-chances after replacing Jota from the bench. However, Slot’s side had already done the hard work and eased to a significant three points to kick off their Champions League campaign.
GK: Mike Maignan – 5/10 – Arguably should have commanded his box better with Liverpool’s two first-half strikes but was suffering with an injury. Still made some decent saves before being substituted early in the second half.
RB: Davide Calbria – 4/10 – An absolutely needless challenge handed Liverpool the free kick from which they levelled and he struggled to cope with the pace and ingenuity of Gakpo throughout.
CB: Strahinja Pavlovic – 4/10 – A man of his size and stature should have been more influential from Liverpool’s set pieces and he was bamboozled far too easily by Gakpo for the visitors’ third.
CB: Fikayo Tomori – 6/10 – Largely kept Jota quiet and made some important interventions when Liverpool broke with speed. Would have been hoping for more support from his teammates along the backline.
LB: Theo Hernandez – 6/10 – A few characteristically frantic bursts down the left flank but the French defender was fairly anonymous for the most part.
DM: Youssouf Fofana – 5/10 – Booked for a cynical foul in the first half and was left walking a tightrope for the remainder of the game. Subsequently struggled to command the midfield battle as Liverpool took charge.
DM: Ruben Loftus-Cheek – 5/10 – Sloppy in his distribution and touch, with very little end product when he did find himself in the final third. A disappointing display on the big stage.
RW: Christian Pulisic – 7/10 – Powered Milan ahead early doors with a fine run and finish but found it difficult to get involved as the game progressed.
AM: Tijjani Reijnders – 6/10 – Found some nice pockets of space in the opening stages and kickstarted a few attacks. However, his influence waned significantly in the second half.
LW: Rafael Leao – 6/10 – There were one or two trademark Leao moments as he drifted past challenges but he couldn’t make any telling contributions in a game where Milan were crying out for a talisman.
ST: Alvaro Morata – 7/10 – A clever header set Pulisic on his way for the opener and he caused issues for Konate with his physicality and relentlessness.
Substitutes
SUB: Lorenzo Torriani (51′ for Maignan) – 6/10 – Bar a few poor passes and kicks, he did well on his senior debut in tough circumstances.
SUB: Tammy Abraham (70′ for Loftus-Cheek) – 6/10
SUB: Emerson Royal (70′ for Calabria) – 6/10
SUB: Noah Okafor (84′ for Morata) – 6/10
SUB: Matteo Gabbia (84′ for Tomori) – 6/10
Subs not used: Lapo Nava (GK), Davide Bartesaghi, Filippo Terracciano, Kevin Zeroli, Yunus Musah, Samuel Chukwueze.
Manager
Paulo Fonseca – 5/10 – More questions will be asked of the new Milan boss after a disjointed display. A bright start was quickly surrendered and Fonseca was unable to help his side wrestle control from Liverpool.
GK: Alisson – 6/10 – Largely untested and helpless for Milan’s early strike. Handed the hosts a few opportunities with some slack passing.
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold – 8/10 – The Englishman’s delivery was on point as Liverpool drew level and he handled Leao competently down the right-hand side. His playmaking abilities helped the Reds slice Milan open.
CB: Ibrahima Konate – 7/10 – Should have closed Pulisic down faster as the American fired Milan in front but made amends with a rare goal 20 minutes later. Settled after a nervy start and finished strong.
CB: Virgil van Dijk – 8/10 – Anything Konate can do, Van Dijk can do too. The Dutchman scored a very similar header just before half-time to put the Reds ahead and was dominant in his duels with Morata and Abraham.
LB: Kostas Tsimikas – 6/10 – Nowhere to be seen for Milan’s opener after rushing forward aimlessly to press but his accurate corner allowed Van Dijk to head Liverpool into the lead. A mixed display from the left-back.
DM: Alexis Mac Allister – 8/10 – Snapped into tackles, set the tempo and was calm under pressure – exactly what Liverpool needed in a tough environment. Almost provided an assist in the second half with a stunning through ball.
DM: Ryan Gravenberch – 7/10 – Liverpool missed the protection of a natural number six in the early stages but Gravenberch grew in prominence as the game wore on. Typically graceful in possession and on the turn.
RW: Mohamed Salah – 7/10 – Desperately unlucky to strike the woodwork twice in the first half with solid efforts and will wonder how he didn’t leave San Siro with a goal to his name. Still, he was a constant menace down the right.
AM: Dominik Szoboszlai – 8/10 – A great display from Szoboszlai, who worked his socks off when closing Milan down and made some smart runs deep into Milan territory – one of which led to his instinctive goal.
LW: Cody Gakpo – 8/10 – Having come into the team for the lively Luis Diaz, Gakpo proved a real handful for Calabria with his movement and agility. Brilliant in possession, created chances for teammates and set up the third with an exquisite piece of play.
ST: Diogo Jota – 6/10 – Spurned a glorious opportunity to put Liverpool ahead shortly after Konate’s header and lacked his usual clinical edge in the final third.
Substitutes
SUB: Darwin Nunez (68′ for Gakpo) – 5/10
SUB: Luis Diaz (68′ for Jota) – 7/10
SUB: Joe Gomez (79′ for Alexander-Arnold) – 6/10
SUB: Federico Chiesa (90+3′ for Salah) – N/A
SUB: Wataru Endo (90+3′ for Mac Allister) – N/A
Subs not used: Caoimhin Kelleher (GK), Vitezslav Jaros (GK), Andy Robertson, Conor Bradley, Jarell Quansah, Curtis Jones, Tyler Morton.
Manager
Arne Slot – 7/10 – After a rocky opening 15 minutes, Liverpool responded in style. Slot’s system helped nullify Milan’s attacking threats and the Reds were quick to punish their hosts with fast breaks. A good night’s work after a tough weekend.
Player of the match: Cody Gakpo (Liverpool)
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