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Arne Slot, marking his 47th birthday, could have been left a few years older as his team put him through another nerve-shredding test again.

In the end, though, Liverpool were able to deliver a birthday win for their manager—after another dose of stoppage-time excitement that has characterized their campaign so far.

The old cliche that a two-goal lead is a precarious advantage in the game, and Liverpool are giving it fresh relevance this term. The team has let slip such a lead twice this season—against Bournemouth and Newcastle United—repeating the pattern here against Atletico Madrid.

On every occasion, though, the Reds have bounced back from the brink to claim all three points.

Such is the sheer force of will in Slot’s side, coupled with the electric atmosphere of Anfield on European nights, that it felt almost an inevitability about the Dutch defender’s powerful near-post finish late in stoppage time.

Van Dijk’s injury-time decisive goal was the fourth goal Liverpool have notched in the dying moments this season, with six of their eight second-half goals coming from the closing stages onward.

Slot was seen leaping for joy in his technical area once more, just as consistently done during Liverpool’s run of dramatic victories. Despite triumph, he must wish that his team would not leave supporters knee-deep in their nails before the final whistle.

Even Liverpool, for all their firepower, will not always pull off these heroics. Their carelessness will worry Slot, although they have shown five times this season that they possess the character to recover.

“A game of this nature ought not to gone to a last-gasp goal,” Slot stated.

“I know that’s the narrative of this game, but in my view it is distinct from previous games. We created numerous great chances where we could have scored a third goal.”

All Eyes on Isak but Salah Returns to Top Form

The spotlight was on £125m acquisition the Swedish international as he earned his club debut after his transfer from Newcastle.

He showed elegant moments, although unsurprisingly he tired before coming off after 58 minutes. Isak’s most recent competitive game was on in May, so it makes sense that Liverpool are easing him gradually—and the player appearing rusty.

While the new man is an emerging Liverpool star, one of the old guard showed he is far from to stand aside just yet. The Egyptian winger shrugged off early-season lethargy to get back to his brilliant form.

He was a persistent menace, even striking the post after Marcos Llorente pulled one back for the Spanish side.

Anfield has a special place in Llorente’s memory after he also scored twice when Atletico won 3-2 in a Champions League last-16 fixture in 2020.

Following that win, Llorente called the dog he presented to his mother ‘Anfield’, and showed once more why this is his preferred stadium with an equaliser with nine minutes from time.

The home side, as is their wont, were not to be denied.

On this occasion it was Van Dijk who grabbed the victory for Liverpool—ensuring the manager’s special day were accompanied by a win rather than a disappointing stalemate.

Isak Settles His Way the Team

The striker, naturally, was some way from his best but showed sufficient in his hour on pitch to provide a golden hint of the quality his future may hold.

The hosts were actually 2-0 ahead before Isak took his initial involvement after the opening phase, and there were anxious murmurs around the stadium when he was seen hitting his palm on the turf in pain after a late challenge from Atletico defender Robin Le Normand.

He slowly grew into the match, but started to appear leggy as the opening period ended. He returned for the second half, but it was expected when he was substituted to a warm applause before the hour.

The coach commented: “In the 60 minutes he was on, he seemed quite fit to me. He didn’t look as if after 10 minutes he was extremely very tired. He could perform at the highest standard effectively after one or two weeks of training.”

“His technique football and he’s a pleasure to watch. It’s expected. He was in better condition than I expected, however the fans shouldn’t get their expectations too high. We play multiple games a week and that’s a bit too much for him at this stage.”

“We have two excellent number nines [Isak and Hugo Ekitike] and we’re going to use each of them throughout their time here.”

The Swede had a couple of attempts that drew stops from Atletico goalkeeper Oblak, but the key takeaway was his link-up with another new signing, £116m playmaker Florian Wirtz.

The pair dovetailed superbly in the first half to create a opportunity for Jeremie Frimpong, which he could not convert, then Isak’s clever backheel—with his back to goal and blind—was directed straight into the Wirtz’s path, bringing roars of approval from the fans.

Isak and Wirtz combined nine times in the game, this early sample of their understanding indicating they will be a devastating weapon in the team’s armoury.

It was a quiet introduction for Isak—yet enough to hint at what he can bring.