Liverpool win at AC Milan in Champions League opener

Ibrahima Konate scored his fourth goal for Liverpool and first since April 2022. (Getty Images)

BBC Sport, September 18 — Liverpool claimed an assured victory at AC Milan on their Champions League return to firmly bounce back from Saturday's shock defeat by Nottingham Forest.

The Reds were stunned on the break inside three minutes when AC Milan winger Christian Pulisic found the net with a driven strike across goal.

But Arne Slot's side responded with a dominant performance and, after Mohamed Salah hit the bar, defender Ibrahima Konate levelled with a stooping 23rd-minute header from Trent Alexander-Arnold's free-kick.

Salah struck the bar again before Virgil van Dijk completed the turnaround shortly before half-time when he met Konstantinos Tsimikas' corner with a close-range header.

The win was wrapped up in the 67th minute when Cody Gakpo ended an electric run by squaring the ball to Dominik Szoboszlai for a tap-in.

Liverpool also gave a brief debut to summer signing Federico Chiesa who replaced Salah in the 93rd minute.

Slot starts new Liverpool European era with win

Liverpool were playing their first Champions League match in 18 months after spending last season in the Europa League.

It was a happy return - even after a shaky opening which may have had a few Reds fans worrying about the start of a slump.

But after Liverpool conceded they were back to their high-pressing best, catching Milan out in dangerous areas and firmly responding to Saturday's honeymoon-ending loss to Forest.

Salah looked lively, hitting the bar twice in the first half, and AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan did well to twice keep out Gakpo.

Liverpool's centre-backs got their side back into the game with towering headers to punish AC Milan for poor defending at set-pieces.

After the restart Maignan denied Diogo Jota, but was injured by the striker's follow-through and had to replaced because of knee trouble.

The visitors continued to dominate and got a deserved third through Szoboszlai's tap-in, while Reds keeper Alisson Becker was called into late action, tipping a Rafael Leao strike on to the post in the final moments.

Liverpool have tough fixtures to come in this year's Champions League - notably against Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen in October - so a win to kick things off will be a big relief for Slot.

During the match Liverpool players wore black armbands to pay tribute to travelling supporter Philip Dooley who was killed when struck by a vehicle in Italy, while representatives from both teams placed flowers on what would have been his seat at the game.

The Reds' victory was their first in Europe without Jurgen Klopp as manager since Brendan Rodgers' side beat Besiktas 1-0 in the first leg of a Europa League last-32 tie in February 2015.