Arne Slot lauded Liverpool’s mentality after they scored yet another late winner to claim a 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League at Anfield.
The Premier League champions let slip a two-goal lead after efforts from Andy Robertson and Mo Salah were cancelled out by Marcos Llorente’s double before Virgil van Dijk headed home in the second minute of added time.
Liverpool have already made a habit of scoring late winners this season, most recently beating Burnley 1-0 in the Premier League thanks to Salah’s 95th-minute penalty.
“If you want to beat a team like Atletico, which is known and has an unbelievable mentality, you have to beat them with their own weapon as well and that is mentality,” Slot told TNT Sports.
“I think that’s what we showed again today, that we can beat them also by mentality. But I think we should have made it easier for ourselves.”
Slot: Positively surprised by Isak
Slot handed British record £125m signing Alexander Isak his first Liverpool appearance by including him in his starting line-up and was delighted with the Swede’s contribution.
The Dutchman, who celebrated victory on his 47th birthday, said: “Particularly because I think in the 60 minutes he played, he seemed to be quite fit to me so it wasn’t as if, after 10 minutes, he was already very tired.
Alexander Isak made his much-anticipated debut against Atletico
“He could just play at this level quite well so that was the most positive thing and that he can play football and that he’s a joy to watch.
“That is not a surprise to me but he was maybe fitter than I expected.
“I was positively surprised by how fit he was. I was not surprised by the quality but it is always nice to see when a player starts how he started. It was a good start but only 60 minutes.
Slot was unsure whether Isak will start again on Saturday at Anfield against Merseyside rivals Everton.
He added: “You can tell David [Moyes] he is not going to play 90 minutes [against Everton].”
“I’m really happy he could start today. That’s why we didn’t play him against Burnley. He was good today and when Hugo (Ekitike) came in, he was a big factor also.
“We have two great number nines and we’re going to use them, both of them, throughout the whole period they’re here.
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Vinny O’Connor and Adam Bate discuss Liverpool’s win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League
Robertson: We need to make it easier
Meanwhile, Robertson, credited with the opener after Salah’s fourth-minute free-kick deflected in off the defender, also felt his side’s win should have been more comfortable.
He told TNT Sports: “I think we need to maybe get back to winning a bit simpler and a bit easier.
Liverpool have now scored the winning goal in the 83rd minute or later in each of their last five games
“Obviously it’s a great thing to have been able to keep going right to the end but when you’re 2-0 up and you’re playing so well in the first half, it should have been a more comfortable night.”
On Isak’s long-awaited debut, Robertson added: “I thought he was excellent. He’s not really had a pre season, not had a lot of games since last season, but I thought, especially the first half, he was excellent.
Isak’s touch map in Liverpool’s win over Atletico Madrid
“Naturally he got tired and then it’s amazing to have a player like Hugo to come on and both of them have got such quality.”
Carragher: Van Dijk to go down as Liverpool great
Jamie Carragher says Van Dijk should be remembered as one of Liverpool’s greatest ever players – not just one of their greatest centre-backs after he scored the Reds’ stoppage-time winner against Atletico.
“I don’t like describing Van Dijk as the best centre back. At Liverpool, a lot of people get called legends because they’ve won the league or the Champions League,” Carragher told CBS.
Van Dijk celebrates scoring Liverpool’s late winner against Atletico Madrid
“There are lots of them. But if you want to differentiate, and I call them giants of the club like Gerrard, Dalglish, Hansen, Barnes, Souness and Salah, the top seven or eight players at Liverpool, he is right in the middle of that.
“He’s not at the bottom of the list I can assure you. He will go down as one of the greatest players to ever play for Liverpool. Not one of the greatest centre backs, one of the greatest players.”