Jamie Carragher has warned that Liverpool’s 2-1 Champions League victory over Atlético Madrid masked defensive concerns, despite praising the winning start made by new manager Andoni Iraola.
The Reds came from behind at Anfield on Wednesday night after Marcos Llorente gave Atlético the lead in the 17th minute. Dominik Szoboszlai equalised before half-time, with Alexis Mac Allister completing the turnaround five minutes after the interval. ([liverpoolfc.com](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/matches/mens-team/results/2026/champions-league?utm_source=openai))
However, former Liverpool defender Carragher felt the home side looked too open during the opening period. He believed the team lacked the defensive compactness required to control a game against Diego Simeone’s experienced Atlético side.
Carragher sees improvement after half-time
Carragher’s assessment was more positive after the interval, when Liverpool pressed with greater intensity and appeared better organised without the ball. He also felt Florian Wirtz produced a stronger display as the match progressed, offering more creativity and influence in the second half.
Wirtz was involved in one of Liverpool’s clearest opportunities before the break, forcing a save from Jan Oblak, and later helped create the opening for Bradley Barcola, who missed narrowly after being played through. Liverpool’s pressure eventually told when Mac Allister drove a powerful finish into the far corner. ([theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/sep/09/liverpool-atletico-madrid-champions-league-match-report?utm_source=openai))
The result gave Iraola a winning beginning to his Champions League career and marked his first victory in charge at Anfield. The Liverpool head coach admitted afterwards that he had to take some responsibility for the uneven start, saying Atlético had used a structure his team had not expected and that it had affected their defensive match-ups. ([liverpoolfc.com](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/andoni-iraola-press-conference-players-have-shown-big-character?amp=1&utm_source=openai))
Carragher was nevertheless pleased for Iraola, who secured an important result against a manager of Simeone’s standing. Atlético have twice reached the Champions League final under the Argentine, making the comeback a significant early achievement for Liverpool’s new boss.
The victory followed Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Ipswich Town and represented their second successive success after draws against Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest. Carragher’s view, however, was that Iraola’s side remain a work in progress and must become more secure defensively if their encouraging results are to develop into a sustained challenge.
Iraola is still attempting to impose his style on the squad, with the early stages of his tenure likely to involve further tactical adjustments. Liverpool’s recovery against Atlético offered evidence of their attacking potential, but also underlined the scale of the defensive work still required.
