Mac Allister answers with a goal as Liverpool sinks Atletico at Anfield

A day earlier he had said, at a press conference, that a contract renewal with Liverpool was not yet on the table. Twenty-four hours later, with the ball bouncing at the edge of the box, Alexis Mac Allister found the best way to respond: with a pure left-footed strike.

The stage could not have been more demanding. Atletico Madrid, semifinalists in the last Champions League edition, visited Anfield on matchday one of the 2026/27 Champions League and went ahead early. Marcos Llorente opened the scoring off an assist from Julian Alvarez, and for a while it looked like Cholo Simeone's side would land an early statement blow.

But the match, tight and physical, had another story in store. Liverpool, under Andoni Iraola, started to push and found the equalizer through a goal from Dominik Szoboszlai. By then Mac Allister had already become a reference point in midfield: he chased down every ball, fought for every duel, and earned the applause of an Anfield crowd that knows how to recognize a player who leaves it all on the field.

Just ten minutes after the equalizer came the play that tipped everything. A loose ball fell near the opposing box and the Argentine didn't hesitate: he unleashed a powerful left-footed shot that found the back of the net for the 2-1. Anfield exploded. The score didn't change again, and Liverpool held on for three crucial points against one of the toughest rivals of the entire matchday.

An answer with a goal

What Mac Allister had said about his contract situation lingered in the air for barely a day, because the pitch took care of giving the conversation a different headline. He didn't need to say another word: the goal spoke for him.

He wasn't the only Argentine to stand out on this opening matchday. Nico Paz handed out two assists in Como's 4-1 rout of Leipzig, and Enzo Fernandez contributed a key pass in Manchester City's win. Even so, none of the three made the team of the week, which included only one South American representative: Raphinha.

Still, given the weight of the opponent, the moment in the match when it came, and what that goal meant within a comeback against a serious European contender, Mac Allister earned the distinction of standout Argentine of the Champions League's opening matchday.