Sporting Lisbon defeat Galatasaray 3-1 in Champions League opener

Andoni Iraola, Liverpool's manager, expressed his delight at having his first taste of Champions League coaching after the Reds secured a 2-1 victory over Atletico Madrid. The match began poorly for Liverpool when Marcos Llorente scored a goal for Atletico, marking his fifth goal in three visits to Anfield. However, Dominik Szoboszlai equalised before halftime, and Alexis Mac Allister sealed the win with a second-half goal, giving Liverpool a positive start to their Champions League campaign.

Iraola, who had never previously coached in Europe's top competition, praised his team's character, especially after the difficult start. He stated, "We've shown big character, especially the players after a difficult start to do the second half they have done." Iraola was thrilled with the atmosphere at Anfield, calling it "incredible" and expressing his "lucky" experience.

The win came at a cost, though, as new signing Bradley Barcola suffered cramps and limped off in the 60th minute. Iraola explained that Barcola had not played any pre-season minutes due to the club's rush to bring him in from Paris Saint-Germain for £123 million (US$167 million). Despite the setback, Iraola said they were committed to having Barcola in their lineup and decided to give him what he had during the match. They would see how he recovered for the next game, which is scheduled three days later.