Liverpool came from behind to beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 at Anfield, with Alexis Mac Allister scoring the winner. The raw emotion of his celebration in front of the Kop spoke volumes a day after he expressed sadness that Liverpool had not offered him a new contract during the summer.

The Argentine, contracted until 2028, spoke passionately about his love for the club and the city, while admitting he needed to show his level. Thankfully for Andoni Iraola and Liverpool, he did just that against Diego Simeone’s side. After Marcos Llorente’s opener and Dominik Szoboszlai’s equaliser, Mac Allister’s left-foot strike from outside the box left Jan Oblak with no chance.

Iraola praised the midfielders’ goals and navigated questions about Mac Allister’s future. Paul Robinson said it was “exactly what Mac Allister needed to do,” while Steven Gerrard told him to let his football do the talking. Mac Allister, who has scored five of his 20 Liverpool goals from outside the area, called the win a “positive step.”