Barney Ronay on Liverpool's win
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Right then, I’m off. Here’s the match report again. Bye!
And here’s Jamie Jackson on more madness in Manchester:
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Jürgen Klopp talks to BT Sport:
We started incredibly well. Played a super game. We played in all the spaces we had to play, didn’t give them anything until ... I don’t know exactly. We got carried away actually by all the football. We didn’t keep it simple any more and defensively weren’t organised any more. They played in between, scored two goals.
It wasn’t nice but it didn’t feel like we cannot come back. We had to immediately get back to how we started, defensively especially, then we scored wonderful goals. We had 10 minutes where Milan nearly changed the whole tie. Apart from the 10 minutes it was the football I want to see.
We are experienced in the competition, or we should be, but it was a little bit because of the [team] changes that we just were not compact any more. Now we won, I can say it was the right thing to do because playing every three days is just not possible. Origi played a super game. He had cramps, that’s normal after such a long time. People forget how good he is. It’s difficult to get in this team.
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Here’s Andy Hunter’s match report from Anfield:
The Kop issued a reminder of Istanbul before kick off with a banner that read: “25/05/05 - There are places I remember”. And, if Milan had not been traumatised enough by the events of 16 years ago, Liverpool delivered another on the pitch with three goals, another comeback and a valuable Champions League victory. There are high expectations for Group B and the opener exceeded them.
Jürgen Klopp’s side recovered from the shock of trailing at half-time to take maximum points courtesy of Jordan Henderson’s immaculate half volley. Milan impressed once they recovered from an early siege but ultimately greater European experience in the Liverpool ranks told as they regained control of the tie.
Milan had waited seven long years for a taste of Champions League football and initially received a brutal lesson in how Europe’s elite competition has developed in their absence. They ended the first half delivering one of their own, turning the game on its head in the space of three dramatic minutes having spent the opening 42 firmly on the back foot.
Much more here:
Jordan Henderson has a quick chat:
Yeah, it was a good game. I’m sure it was good for the neutral to watch. It’s been a while, Champions League with the fans back, so that was nice. We started really well, then last 10, 15 minutes of the first half we had a spell when we found it difficult and they scored two goals. But the lads reacted really well, got their rewards and got the winner. So overall we’re delighted.
I’m still not quite sure how Origi got the ball through to Salah for the equaliser. There was a blur of feet, some kind of ball-flicking manoeuvre. Anyway, here’s some Andy Robertson:
One of them that’s probably enjoyable for the neutral. First half an hour I thought we blew them away and then we got a bit sloppy and let them back into the game. We walked in at half-time 2-1 down thinking, ‘How’s this happened?’ We know how difficult the Champions League is and how important it is to start with three points and luckily we’ve done that. We have to be smarter than that, get in at half-time at 1-1. But we managed to forget about it, second half we came out, enjoyed it again and managed to get the win.
The night’s other Group B game is still going, with Porto’s former Newcastle ace Chancel Mbemba getting a 95th-minute red card and the score still at 0-0.
Final score: Liverpool 3-2 Milan
90+5 mins: And that’s the final action. A breathless, brilliant game of football ends with the home side banking the points.
90+5 mins: With seven seconds of the five bonus minutes to play, Brahim Diaz shoots over the bar from 25 yards.
90+4 mins: Liverpool break, with Mane, Jones and Thiago and the ball while Milan have only two men back. The two men win.
90+3 mins: Milner is correctly booked for bringing Brahim Diaz down on Milan’s right touchline.
90+2 mins: Robertson tries to backheel the ball to Jones and fails. He’s had a few attempted backheels tonight, none of them much use.
90+1 mins: Mane is played through but he gets the ball stuck beneath his feet and the chance is lost.
90+1 mins: Five minutes of stoppage time stand between Liverpool and three precious points.
88 mins: Kessie brings Robertson down with an eye-catching flying body-check.
87 mins: Kjaer’s diving glancing header might have crept in at the far post, but Alisson falls on it.
86 mins: Gomez wins another header against Giroud, conceding Milan’s second corner.
84 mins: Liverpool take off Henderson and Salah and bring on Oxlade-Chamberlain and Milner.
82 mins: An inevitable drop in intensity in the last few minutes. It had to happen sooner or later, and it went with later. Milan bring Daniel Maldini, 19-year-old son of Paolo, on for Rebic.
79 mins: Milan cross from the left, but Gomez beats Giroud to the header.
78 mins: In the night’s other Group B game, between Atletico and Porto, there has been a second shot on target. Like the first it came from Atleti, and it didn’t go in.
76 mins: A Milan throw-in finds Kessie, Fabinho and Matip all jostling for the ball inside Liverpool’s penalty area. Kessie eventually goes down, the whistle blows, and the referee gives ... Liverpool a free kick.
74 mins: Jones goes on a lovely mazy run, refuses to go down when Kjaer dives in unnecessarily, and finally curls a left-footed shot not far wide.
71 mins: Milan also get into the substitutional act, bringing Sandro Tonali on for Bennacer.
71 mins: Liverpool make a double substitution, bringing Curtis Jones and Thiago Alcantara on, and Diogo Jota and Naby Keita off.
70 mins: That was Liverpool’s 13th corner, and it certainly was unlucky for some.
GOAL! Liverpool 3-2 Milan (Henderson, 69 mins)
The corner runs to Henderson on the edge of the area, and he half-volleys it into the bottom corner!
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68 mins: What a block that is! Matip bursts into the area before being tackled, the ball runs to Jota and he works space before his apparently goalbound effort hits Kjaer’s ankle and goes wide.
66 mins: Mane’s chest control is excellent, his second touch opens up a shooting chance, and his third is absolutely useless.
65 mins: “Did anyone see if someone from the Milan side, or on their bench, deliberately put a hole in the ball?” asks David Wall. I did not, and suspect no wrongdoing. But we all love a conspiracy theory so do go on. “It is not unknown in cricket for the bowling side to seek to ‘exaggerate’ any misshapen-ness of the ball if they’re having no luck getting movement in the air or off the pitch so they can convince the umpire to change it. And Milan (as opposed to Inter) were originally a cricket and football club.”
63 mins: Origi is going off, though not in any apparent pain. Sadio Mane is on.
63 mins: Tonight’s other Group B game, between Porto and Atletico Madrid, there have been no goals, and only one shot on target.
62 mins: Brahim Diaz is booked for a foul on Origi. Florenzi and Giroud come on for Saelemackers and Rafael Leao.
61 mins: Roberton’s drive is too close to Maignan, who catches.
60 mins: A good spell of Liverpool possession ends with Alexander-Arnold trying but failing to bulldoze his way through Hernandez on the edge of the area, and Salah plugging the gap at right-back when Milan try to counter.
58 mins: The commentator assures us that this will be “a group of death in every sense”. What, exactly, is he planning?
57 mins: Nice work on the left ends with Keita in space, but he really needs to use his left foot and obviously has no intention of doing so. He waits a while for an option to reveal itself before hitting a right-footed cross at Maignan.
55 mins: A rare break from Milan, and Rebic runs down the left before sending in a cross that would have had a better chance of succeeding if there had been a single white shirt supporting him.
52 mins: Another Liverpool corner, which leads to some panic but no shots on target. Moments later Origi drags an effort wide from just outside the area.
51 mins: This game is pure lawless insanity.
GOAL! Liverpool 2-2 Milan (Salah, 49 mins)
Liverpool draw level! Salah passes back to Origi and runs onto a superb chipped return pass before touching past Maignan.
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46 mins: Milan have the ball in the net again, but it’s chalked off for offside! They win their first corner of the game, take it short, send in a low cross and after Henderson completely misses his kick Kjaer turns it in - but there was indeed an offside in the build-up.
46 mins: Peeeeep! Milan get the game restarted.
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The players are back out, with both sides unchanged.
It is ludicrous that Liverpool are losing this game, but also beautiful. For us neutrals, the first half could not have gone any better: lots of excellent, high-paced, inventive attacking, and the likelihood of more to come. “Just before Milan struck twice, I was about to write: ‘Milan is lucky that Klopp is resting several usual starters.’ But after their two goals I think it still applies but for a different reason,” notes Mike MacKenzie.
It must be the new ball. I mean, for 38 minutes Liverpool were so good, but then the ball pops and the new one just doesn’t roll for them. It’s the only sensible explanation. “I suspect that such a reversal of fortunes in a contest between these sides in this competition is not only unprecedented, but has never happened before,” insists Paul Griffin.
Half time: Liverpool 1-2 Milan
45+2 mins: Incredibly, astonishingly, Milan lead at the interval.
45+1 mins: There will be about one minute of stoppage time.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-2 Milan (Diaz, 44 mins)
After massively dominating for 40 minutes, Liverpool are going to be behind at the break! It’s another excellent and pacey move, which ends with Rebic squaring for Leao, whose shot is brilliantly blocked by Robertson, but Brahim Diaz turns in the loose ball!
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GOAL! Liverpool 1-1 Mila (Rebic, 42 mins)
Milan have their first shot on target - and it goes in! It’s an excellent build-up that ends with Kessie finding Rebic in space, and he sidefoots a low shot past Alisson!
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40 mins: Origi and Tomori challenge for the same ball. It looked to me like Tomori got the ball and Origi kicked Tomori’s foot with the top of his. It’s not a foul, but Origi is down.
38 mins: Popped football! The ball refuses to bounce, and the referee sends it off and orders a new one.
36 mins: Factually correct corner count: 10. I saw Liverpool against Leeds at the weekend as well, and they look to be at peak Klopp-era levels. There may be some teams who can live with the pace and accuracy of their attacking, but not many.
33 mins: Maignan gets his legs muddled to gift Liverpool another corner, from which they win another corner, from which Alexander-Arnold eventually overhits a cross. Liverpool corner count: eight.
32 mins: Liverpool have turned the pressure back on, but assorted defenders have thrown themselves about to block assorted shots, and Maignan has not been beaten again.
30 mins: Save! The ball is worked infield from the left to Salah, just outside the area, whose shot is tipped over the bar.
29 mins: Milan do some attacking things! But Rafael Leao’s cross from the left is cleared.
28 mins: The referee gives a free-kick against Fabinho, who leaps to his feet and flings his arms around in frustration at the decision. Not a good move: Szymon Marciniak, the referee, gives him a stringent dressing down.
25 mins: The pace has dipped a bit in the last few minutes, and Milan have started to have a bit of gentle possession. They will be relieved to have reached this point with a single-goal deficit.
23 mins: Corner-kick fans should keep an eye on the tally here - since the start of last season the most Liverpool have had in any one game is 13.
19 mins: Liverpool win their fifth corner, which is taken from the right, re-centred from the left and re-centred from the right, and eventually Matip has another header saved.
16 mins: Liverpool have already had 13 shots. What they’ve been doing to Milan is borderline barbaric.
Maignan saves the penalty!
14 mins: Salah’s penalty is hit with plenty of power but only just left of centre, and Maignan couldn’t fail to save it having gone the right way. The ball loops out to a red shirt and is headed goalwards again, but Maignan is up in time to catch.
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Penalty to Liverpool!
13 mins: Robinson’s shot hits Bennacer’s left arm, which isn’t far from his body but is in an unnaturally raised position, and the referee points to the spot!
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12 mins: Salah executes a fabulous spin in the area to take Hernandez out of the picture, but this time Tomori’s sliding challenge to deflect the ball wide this time. The question is whether Milan will still be in the game by the time they get a foothold in it.
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11 mins: Salah rolls a pass through Theo Hernández’s legs to Origi. Liverpool have been hilariously good so far.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Milan (Tomori own goal, 9 mins)
It’s been coming! Salah’s return pass to Alexander-Arnold is beautifully paced to take Leao out of the game, and the right-back bursts into the area, runs to the edge of the six-yard box and tries to square for Jota only for the sliding Tomori to deflect it in!
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8 mins: Save! From the ensuing corner, Matip’s header is caught by Maignan.
8 mins: Origi wins the ball on the right, and for a moment Jota is completely clear in the middle. Origi tries to find him, but his centre is too feeble and Kjaer intercepts.
5 mins: Milan are being turned to mush down the left flank, and this time the ball is touched to Jota, who shifts it onto his left foot and has a shot that deflects wide.
3 mins: And a chance! Robertson fizzes in a cross from the left, and Origi touches it wide at the near post. Henderson, notably, was bombing into the centre-forward position there.
2 mins: A strong start for the home side, and Keita has the night’s first shot, a 20-yard left-footer. It’s not a very good one, and Kjaer blocks.
1 min: Players of both sides take the knee, before Mo Salah starts the game for the home side.
Right then. The players are out, the coin has been tossed, pennants exchanged. Now for the football.
You’ll Never Walk Alone has been sung, and the players are gathering in the tunnel.
“Nothing to learn here? Wait a minute, yes there is,” insists Sammy Lopez. “On the left, there’s one with no nameplate! Rude, or forgetful?” That’s Nathaniel “one-pair” Phillips, who has played 21 times for Liverpool now, probably enough for a nameplate you’d have thought.
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Jurgen Klopp addresses his team selection:
I had to force myself to be really sensible. That’s how it is, we had to be like this. We have a lot of games coming up. It’s not exactly what Virgil wanted, it’s not what I wanted either, but it’s what we needed. It’s a good line-up, the boys know each other and will play really well. Up front we need speed, we have to use the squad. It’s nothing to do with disrespecting Milan or whatever, it’s just bringing fresh legs. I always believe in Divock, I always did, and I’m pretty sure he’ll have a good game tonight.
Inside the Liverpool dressing room. There’s not really a lot to learn here, except the footwear inconsistency: Nathaniel Phillips has one pair of boots (plus a pair of sliders, everyone’s got a pair of sliders), many players have two, and some - Jota, Milner, Salah, Gomez - have three. I would say that one pair of boots is not enough, but that three is too many. Essentially, two feels right.
The teams!
Headline news: Virgil van Dijk can put his feet up, being as he is only on the bench, because Joe Gomez, who has played one minute of first-team football since last November, is back in the starting XI. So too is Divock Origi, while Jordan Henderson and Naby Keita replace Thiago and the injured Harvey Elliott in midfield.
Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Gomez, Robertson, Fabinho, Henderson, Keita, Jota, Salah, Origi. Subs: Adrian, Kelleher, Van Dijk, Konate, Thiago, Milner, Mane, Tsimikas, Phillips, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jones, Minamino.
Milan: Maignan; Calabria, Kjær, Tomori, Hernandez; Kessie, Bennacer; Saelemaekers, Diaz, Leao; Rebic. Subs: Jungdal, Tatarusanu; Ballo-Toure, Florenzi, Gabbia, Kalulu, Romagnoli; Tonali; Giroud, Maldini.
Referee: Szymon Marciniak (Poland).
🔴 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐌 𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒 🔴
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 15, 2021
Our first @ChampionsLeague line-up of the campaign ✊ #LIVACM
Our 11 Devils for the big #UCL return 📜😈
— AC Milan (@acmilan) September 15, 2021
I nostri 11 per il grande ritorno in @ChampionsLeague 📜😈#LiverpoolMilan #SempreMilan
@EASPORTSFIFA pic.twitter.com/b2VR8jXU6o
Hello world!
Liverpool v Milan, you say? Don’t mind if I do. Two clubs oozing European pedigree but which the gods of randomness have previously decreed never should meet outside Champions League finals. Everyone will remember the phenomenal 2005 final, fewer the more humdrum 2007 version, but those are the only ever competitive meetings between these sides. Liverpool have played Inter four times, Juventus and Napoli six times each, and Roma on seven occasions, but somehow their orbit and Milan’s never quite intersects. Liverpool have played Udinese, Genoa and Fiorentina as often as they have played the Rossoneri.
But now they are set to double their all-time head-to-head match count in the space of a few weeks, and we are alive to witness it. Milan have started their domestic season handily – three wins in their first three games with a 7-1 aggregate – and Liverpool likewise – three wins in their first four games with an 8-1 aggregate. With Atlético Madrid and Porto also in the group there’s little room for error here: three home wins and one positive away result is the most obvious formula for progression.
“This is the strongest group we have had since I am at Liverpool, no doubt about that,” says Jürgen Klopp. “In 2013 at Dortmund we had a real Champions League group as well. We had Manchester City, Real Madrid and Ajax, which was a proper group where people said: ‘Oh my God, how will we get through?’ This is a proper group as well. This group will be exciting from the first second to the last second.”
So, to summarise: exciting times. Thanks for sharing them with me. Now, for more of Klopp’s pre-match thoughts, read this:
