Virgil van Dijk's towering header deep into stoppage time sent Anfield into raptures as Liverpool snatched a 3-2 victory over Atletico Madrid in their Champions League clash.
The Dutch captain rose highest to meet a corner in the 92nd minute, rescuing his side after they had surrendered a comfortable two-goal advantage.
The dramatic finale epitomised Liverpool's tendency for late heroics this season, though manager Arne Slot will surely question why such intervention was necessary.
Having raced into a commanding position within six minutes, the hosts appeared destined for a routine victory before Marcos Llorente's double strike levelled proceedings.
Arne Slot and Andy Robertson agreed that they need 'simpler' wins after yet more late drama
|REUTERS
The Spanish midfielder's second goal, deflected past Alisson via Alexis Mac Allister, had silenced the home crowd and given Diego Simeone's visitors genuine hope of an unlikely point.
Slot praised his team's mental fortitude in his post-match interview, telling TNT Sports: "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."
The Dutchman, marking his 47th birthday with victory, acknowledged his side had complicated matters unnecessarily. "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."
Andy Robertson echoed his manager's sentiments, admitting: "I think we need to maybe get back to winning a bit simpler and a bit easier.
"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."
Liverpool's blistering start had promised an evening free from anxiety. Ryan Gravenberch drew a clumsy challenge on the edge of the area after just four minutes, setting up Mohamed Salah's free-kick that cannoned off Andy Robertson's calf to deceive Jan Oblak.
Mohamed Salah put on a impressive display for Liverpool | REUTERSThe Egyptian doubled the advantage moments later with a sublime individual effort. Following a slick interchange with Gravenberch, Salah glided into the penalty area before delicately sliding the ball beneath the Atletico goalkeeper.
This lightning-quick double represented the fastest Liverpool had ever established a two-goal cushion in European competition.
The home side's crisp passing repeatedly carved open Simeone's typically rigid defensive structure, with Salah threatening to extend the lead on multiple occasions.
Such early dominance suggested the contest was effectively settled before many supporters had found their seats.
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Alexander Isak's much-anticipated debut saw the Swedish striker start despite minimal match preparation. Having managed just 20 minutes for Sweden against Kosovo since May, questions surrounded his match fitness.
Slot revealed his initial expectations were modest, suggesting an hour would be the forward's limit. Yet the manager expressed pleasant surprise at his new signing's condition, stating: "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."
Robertson offered his assessment of the debutant's display: "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 eventually made way for Hugo Ekitike in the 58th minute, having shown promising glimpses despite taking a painful blow from Robin Le Normand's studs.
Virgil van Dijk's late header handed victory to Liverpool in the 92nd minute
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The visitors' resurgence began just before the interval when Llorente converted from close range following a dangerous cross from the right flank. The full-back turned midfielder's strike injected fresh belief into Simeone's men, who returned for the second period with renewed purpose.
Liverpool's profligacy proved costly as clear opportunities went begging. Salah struck the post when unmarked, while Dominik Szoboszlai's promising break ended in frustration when Florian Wirtz inadvertently blocked his path.
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These misses proved pivotal when Llorente struck again, meeting a dropping ball to unleash a spectacular volley from distance.
Mac Allister's unfortunate deflection wrong-footed Alisson, transforming Anfield's atmosphere from confident expectation to nervous tension.
Simeone's animated protests following Van Dijk's winner earned him a red card, capping a night of high drama.