MILAN, Italy — Liverpool cruised to a 3-1 Champions League win against AC Milan in their opening game of the new expanded competition, but Arne Slot’s team had to fight back from conceding a third-minute Christian Pulisic stunner to seal victory in San Siro.
With seven-time European champions Milan facing six-time winners Liverpool, it was the perfect glamour clash for UEFA to launch their new-look league phase of the competition. Although Pulisic’s goal gave Liverpool an early scare and offered Milan hope of a surprise win, the reality turned out to be different with Liverpool making easy work of the home side.
Mohamed Salah struck the crossbar twice before defenders Ibrahima Konaté and Virgil van Dijk both scored headers from set pieces to give Liverpool a 2-1 half-time lead. A Dominik Szoboszlai goal on 67 minutes made the game safe for Liverpool, but their win was never in doubt after they had cancelled out Pulisic’s opener. — Mark Ogden
Liverpool’s set-piece threat evident under Slot
It is still early days for Slot at Liverpool, but his team’s first two goals against Milan showed a subtle change in approach under the former Feyenoord coach from his predecessor, Jurgen Klopp.
Klopp’s Liverpool were all about the goals of his attacking players and midfielders rather than relying too heavily on the training ground work of converting set-pieces. But goalscoring headers from Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk in the first-half highlighted Slot’s readiness to take advantage of the physical attributes of his defenders, who are both well over six foot tall.
First, Konate powerfully headed Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s free-kick past flailing keeper Mike Maignan from inside the six-yard box, before Van Dijk did the same from a Kostas Tsimikas corner. Both goals were simple and direct, further proof of Slot’s work with this team.
It also bears noting that as impressive as Liverpool were in their execution, Milan were abject when it came to defending. Centre-halves Fikayo Tomori and Strahinja Pavlovic were far too passive in dealing with both deliveries, and Konate and Van Dijk will not have easier chances all season. Their aerial threat is without question and Liverpool will score more goals from set-pieces by exploiting these strengths this season. — Ogden
“Captain America” starts brightly before Milan fade
Christian Pulisic’s night could not have gotten off to a better start. A lay-off from Álvaro Morata, a no-show of defense from Tsimikas and there he was, scything down the right flank and smacking a diagonal finish past Alisson, avoiding the recovery challenge of a desperate Alexis Mac Allister.
However, things went downhill from there, partly because Milan failed to get him the ball, and partly because, with Liverpool on the front foot, Pulisic found himself spending a lot of time tracking back to help Davide Calabria cope with Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota on the left side of Liverpool’s attack.
Pulisic’s chemistry with Morata is also something that coach Paulo Fonseca will want to work on. Opening goal aside, the U.S. and Spain internationals failed to connect, especially when Morata dropped deep from his central striker position. Off the ball, he was his usual industrious self, but more menace towards Alisson’s goal would have been welcomed. — Gab Marcotti
Alexander-Arnold, Leao show their good and bad sides
The head-to-head encounter between AC Milan forward Rafael Leão and Liverpool defender Alexander-Arnold perfectly summed up the strengths and weaknesses of two of the most talented, but infuriating, players in the game.
Leao’s performance was more straightforward in that he produced only glimpses of his best for Paulo Fonseca’s team. The Portugual international has pace and trickery — enough to beat any defender on his day — but there was no final product against Liverpool. On one first-half occasion, Leao ran 40 yards with the ball to excite the crowd, but rather than spot the unmarked runners either side of him, he ran into trouble and lost possession. It summed up his night until a rare flash of his talent when he hit the post in the 96th minute.
Alexander-Arnold had more good contributions than bad, but there is no question that he remains a problem defensively. On more than one occasion, centre-half Konate had to urge his teammate to get back into position after he had wandered into midfield or stayed forward after an attacking move. Had Leao been more aware of his surroundings, he would have targeted the gaps left by Alexander-Arnold and hurt Liverpool, but it didn’t happen.
The England star also wasted possession too often, but did create Liverpool’s opening goal for Konate with his famed set-piece delivery from a free-kick.
It is the same as ever with Alexander-Arnold. He’s great at what he’s good at, but his weaknesses can be bad and ugly for Liverpool. — Ogden
Maignan injury could hurt Milan in the long term
The sight of “Magic” Mike Maignan pounding the turf in frustration after picking up an injury in a collision with Fikayo Tomori early in the second half was rough for Milanisti to take, maybe even more than the defeat.
The French goalkeeper, who on three occasions had asked for treatment in the first half, was in visible pain as he exited the pitch. At best, he’s a doubt for the Milan derby this weekend; at worst, we’re talking a longer stay on the sidelines.
It’s worth noting that he had been nursing an issue with his calf in recent days, but assured the team he was ready to play. Had Sportiello, who injured himself in preseason and is likely out until January, been fit, he may well have started. As it turned out, Maignan’s fitness probably didn’t help on either of Liverpool’s set piece goals.
To make matters worse, his back-up, former Atalanta keeper Marco Sportiello, is currently injured, which explains why Fonseca had to turn to 19-year-old Lorenzo Torriani — who had never before played a single minute of first-team football — to replace Maignan. In fact, Torriani was only the third-choice keeper last year… for Milan’s “Primavera” or Under 21 side.
Talk about being thrown in at the deep end.
There wasn’t much Torriani could do for the Szoboszlai goal, and he certainly looked confident on the pitch. He wasn’t afraid to play out from the back like Maignan likes to do and, on one occasion, he raced out of his penalty box to boot away a long ball over the top. All in all it wasn’t a bad debut, but probably best for Milan if they don’t need to see him again for a while. — Marcotti
Why the subdued crowd?
On Saturday, 71,273 supporters — a near sell-out — filled San Siro to watch Milan take on newly-promoted Venezia in a Serie A match as the hosts romped to a 4-0 win. Four days later, just 59,826 showed up for the visit of six-time European champion Liverpool in the Rossoneri‘s opening game of the revamped UEFA Champions League.
How do you explain the missing 11,000+ fans? It’s obviously not the prestige of the occasion or the opponent; instead, a clue might be in the prices charged.
The cheapest available tickets cost €74 ($82) with the least expensive in the lower tier going for €124 ($138). By contrast, Liverpool’s most expensive regular adult seats clock in at £61 ($80). This led to pushback from fans on social media and, predictably, several swathes of empty seats on Tuesday night.
The Champions League is obviously a cash cow for clubs in terms of gate receipts, but obviously, you have to ensure you get those backsides into the seats. — Marcotti
Milan too meek for Zlatan’s liking
They waited, as they usually do, until deep in injury time and then let them have it.
Milan’s players lined up in front of the Curva Sud, ostensibly to thank the club’s black-clad hardcore Ultras fans for their support, but really to let them vent. And vent they did, singing “Let’s see some b—s!” and “We’re sick of this!”
Obviously no fan is going to be happy with a 3-1 home defeat on the opening day of the new Champions League, but the manner spoke to a more complex issue engulfing the club: the idea that coach Paulo Fonseca is too much of a nice guy, that some players are soft and that there’s a need for a hard man — a “football man” — to bring discipline.
That man, of course, is Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who is on the board of RedBird, the club’s owners. Nobody doubts that he’s a tough guy and a winner and his arrival in the summer was hailed as a coup. Finally, a former player upstairs who could command everyone’s respect and be a conduit between dressing room, coach, front office and ownership.
Ibrahimovic had been away (“personal reasons,” he said) prior to this match and before kickoff, he went straight into Zlatan mode. Referring to his absence, he said: “When the lion goes away, the cats come out. When the the lion returns, the cats disappear.” He then added: “What’s my role? It’s simple. Plenty of people talk, but I’m in charge. I am the boss and everybody works for me.”
If that’s the case, he’s got his work cut out for him because Milan have won just one of their first five games this season in all competitions. Time will tell whether he’s the butt-kicking boss who gets everyone onside or whether he’s more like that old Saturday Night Live skit. — Marcotti