Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone was sent off after clashing with fans at Anfield, as Liverpool claimed a last-gasp win over the Spaniards.
Simeone got into it with a few fans in the stands behind him after Virgil van Dijk scored the winning goal on Wednesday night.
The Argentine had to be held back by security to stop the situation from escalating further.
Van Dijk’s Late Winner Seals Liverpool Win Over Atletico
Premier League holders Liverpool kicked off their Champions League campaign on Wednesday night, hosting LaLiga giants Atletico Madrid at the iconic Anfield. The hosts got off to a brisk start, as Mohamed Salah’s low free-kick took a deflection off Andy Robertson and ended up in the back of the net.
After registering an unintentional assist, Salah got on the scoresheet himself. Playing a one-two with Ryan Gravenberch, Salah burst into the box and applied a cool finish to beat Jan Oblak. Despite conceding two early goals, Atletico Madrid did not throw in the towel.
Just before the half-time whistle, Marcos Llorente applied a cool finish from inside the box to make it 2-1. In the 81st minute, Llorente struck again, dispatching a thunderous volley from the edge of the Liverpool box, which took a deflection off Alexis Mac Allister to beat Alisson.
Another late winner ⌚ pic.twitter.com/pILbMomrzk
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 17, 2025
Diego Simeone and travelling Atletico Madrid fans were hopeful of seeing the game out. But Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk tipped the scales in the hosts’ favour right at the end. Dominik Szoboszlai delivered a gem of a corner in the second minute of injury time, picking Van Dijk out perfectly. The Dutchman launched a missile of a header to send the ball into the bottom-right corner.
After the thrilling victory over Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, Liverpool are 6/1 with football betting sites to win the Champions League.
WATCH: Diego Simeone Sees Red After Clashing With Liverpool Fans
Virgil van Dijk’s late winner sent Anfield into ruptures and caused Diego Simeone to lose his cool. The Argentine seemingly charged towards goading Liverpool fans behind the Atletico dugout, causing the security to intervene. The referee had had enough of the drama and showed Simeone a red card. Before exiting the pitch, Simeone pleaded his case, saying fans provoked him throughout the match.
When asked about the incident during the post-match press conference, Simeone refused to explain and walked out.
Watch Diego Simeone’s clash with Liverpool fans below:
Diego Simeone was sent off as Liverpool scored the winner for clashing with the Reds supporters 🤬
Then he walked out of his press conference when asked about the incident.
↳ UEFA Champions League. Live & Exclusive on Stan Sport.#StanSportAU #UCL pic.twitter.com/aRPYECyLJK
— Stan Sport Football (@StanSportFC) September 17, 2025
The manager eventually calmed down and addressed the controversy.
Speaking to Movistar, he said:
“Obviously my reaction is not justifiable, I insulted him. But it was 90 minutes of being insulted the whole time. Then you turn around, when your opponent has scored, and they are still insulting you. It is not that easy.
“The referee understood the situation. I hope that a team like Liverpool can improve that part.”
Atletico Madrid, who have dropped to 28th place in the Champions League rankings, return to European action with a clash against Eintracht Frankfurt on September 30.
