As the clock ticked towards 11pm local time in Milan, Arne Slot could finally sit back, relax and enjoy his 46th birthday. After a few days stressing over whether his team could right the wrongs of a dismal defeat on Saturday, the Liverpool head coach was finally gifted a present.
It came in the form of three points to start the Champions League campaign, in one of world sport’s most grand arenas at the coliseum-like San Siro. As far as a welcome to European football with Liverpool goes, this was a baptism of fire for Slot.
For the first 20 minutes, it felt like his team were going to melt in the cauldron of noise and succumb to pressure. But goals from both centre halves, Ibrahima Konate and captain Virgil van Dijk, gave Slot the perfect end to his birthday as they came from behind to topple AC Milan.
Dominik Szoboszlai added a third on 67 minutes to put the game to bed after some wasteful finishing before it and then Slot finally cut a more relaxed figure. Given the calm nature of the Dutchman, he had spent the first hour or so here pacing his technical area with anxiety.
Evidently, he felt he had a point to prove. With this Liverpool’s first Champions League game for 18 months, they were back at Europe’s top table – and Slot needed to show he belonged here too. Did he do that? Absolutely.
Liverpool came from behind after an early setback to beat AC Milan 3-1 at San Siro on Wednesday
Former Chelsea midfielder Christian Pulisic had opened the scoring after just three minutes
Pulisic drilled a low shot home after beating Kostas Tsimikas in the game’s early stages
Ibrahima Konate levelled on the 23rd minute with a header from an Alexander-Arnold free-kick
This was not a perfect performance by any means – Liverpool looked vulnerable at times – but it was a display of tactical maturity, resilience and efficiency at both ends. After a shoddy first 20 minutes, the Reds barely put a foot wrong, Milan unable to regain their hold on the game.
Mohamed Salah hit the woodwork twice and the home team needed keeper Mike Maignan to be at his best to deny more goals, with Liverpool dominating the chances. Ultimately, though, this game was won by two set-pieces.
Given all the romanticising of set-piece coaches in 2024 – Arsenal’s Nicolas Jover is almost a mythical character whose name is often on newspaper back pages – it is rather ironic that Liverpool do not have a dead-ball specialist.
After Saturday’s defeat to Nottingham Forest swiftly ended the Arne Slot honeymoon period, the new head coach knew another loss would put him under scrutiny. He had been brought back down to earth to halt a perfect start to life in England – and needed a quick reaction.
The San Siro is hardly the best location if you need to get over a deep disappointment, mind. Although several sections of the ground were empty due to fans’ protests of ticket prices, the atmosphere is still deafening. It felt like Liverpool’s stars could melt in the cauldron of noise.
A penny for the thoughts of Slot, then, as his team fell behind with less than three minutes on the clock to a slick Milan breakaway goal. Just the start he and they needed. To frustrate him further, this goal was entirely preventable.
Kostas Tsimikas, playing ahead of Andy Robertson in one of two changes – noteworthy given Slot’s reluctance to rotate his pack – misjudged an attempted header and, suddenly, Christian Pulisic had the freedom of the San Siro. The American charged in and fired hard and low.
Pulisic never showed off his true talents at Chelsea but he is adored in Milan, the name which drew the loudest cheer from the Curva Sud when the teams were read out pre-match. Paulo Fonseca’s team were clearly in the mood and continued to play through Liverpool’s press.
The centre-back’s goal was born of a Cody Gakpo run, who was fouled by Davide Calabria
Arne Slot enjoyed a happy 46th birthday in Liverpool’s Champions League opener in Milan
And it was Liverpool’s second centre-half, Virgil van Djik, who put Liverpool 2-1 ahead
Slot patrolled the touchline scratching his bald head – shining amid the heat of a warm September in Italy – and must have been wondering just what happened to the version of Liverpool which utterly dismantled Manchester United at Old Trafford a fortnight ago.
It felt like they were being strangled by Milan for those first 20 minutes but, then, out of nowhere, Liverpool turned up. In their first attack of note, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Szoboszlai exchanged slick, quick passes and Salah rattled the crossbar.
That seemed to be the spark that jolted the rest sporting Liverpool’s black away shirts into action, even those fans up in the Gods who found their voice. On 24 minutes, they were level, as Konate headed home an Alexander-Arnold free-kick.
Milan goalkeeper Maignon, who was limited to a watching brief in the early minutes, was suddenly being forced into save after save. Salah could have had a hat-trick as he struck the upright a second time and then forced the French keeper down for a full-stretch save.
Milan keeper Mike Maignan suffered an injury in the first half before being taken off
A Cody Gakpo break resulted in a bundled goal from Dominic Szoboszlai on the 67th minute
Szoboszlai (was happy to get on scoresheet after an energetic performance in midfield
Diogo Jota, who was handed his professional debut by Milan boss Fonseca at Portuguese club Pacos Ferreira, was guilty of being greedy as he shot wide of the mark when Cody Gakpo was unmarked for a square pass and probable tap-in.
But Liverpool finally found the goal to put them ahead four minutes before half-time as Van Dijk peeled off his marker to rise high and head in a Tsimikas corner. Two set-pieces, two goals. Stand-in dead-ball coach Aaron Briggs was mobbed by Slot and his coaching clan.
Liverpool continued to dominate proceedings, with Jota and Tsimikas coming close before Szoboszlai finally won the game on 67 minutes. The Hungary captain played a slick give-and-go with Cody Gakpo before an easy tap-in past sub goalkeeper Lorenzo Torriani.