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AC Milan's long-awaited return to the Champions League ended in defeat, as they lost 3-2 to Liverpool in an Anfield classic. Jordan Henderson settled a nerve-wracking encounter with a belter of a shot in the second half as the Reds took the initiative in Group B with all three points on the opening day.
Fikayo Tomori's own goal helped Liverpool break the deadlock inside the opening ten minutes following a superb trademark Trent Alexander-Arnold run down the right-hand side. Mohamed Salah then missed a penalty to double Liverpool's advantage as Milan came roaring back into the game.
Second-best for much of the first half, Ante Rebic and Brahim Diaz scored in quick succession to put the visitors in front at the break. However, Salah atoned for his missed penalty by restoring parity three minutes into the second half. Liverpool captain Henderson then thumped home a scorching low drive from Alexander-Arnold's corner to seal all three points for the hosts.
Liverpool were deserved winners on the night. But kudos go to a Zlatan Ibrahimovic-less Milan side for a spirited performance in their first Champions League game in over seven years.
On that note, here are five key talking points from the five-goal Anfield thriller:
#1 Mohamed Salah's penalty streak for Liverpool comes to an end
Besides being a prolific goalscorer, Mohamed Salah is also an exceptional penalty-taker. He scored his last 18 penalties for Liverpool before Milan arrived in Anfield on Wednesday.
That hot streak, though, came to an end, as the Egyptian ace was kept out by the Mike Maignan, who guessed the right way to parry the effort. The Milan custodian then put away Robertson's follow-up effort for a corner.
That marked Salah's first miss for Liverpool from 12 yards since October 2017.
Salah's failure from the spot kept the match on a knife's edge before the Rossoneri clawed their way back with two quickfire goals.
#2 Alexander-Arnold caught napping at the back by Milan
When it comes to attacking full-backs, there're very few better than Trent Alexander-Arnold. He is absolutely menacing when driving forward at full pelt, and he makes a lot of assists too.
But there's a downside to his game which Milan gleefully exploited on the night. Alexander-Arnold was caught napping in defence, with the Liverpool ace being out of position a few times in the game.
It's not surprising that both Milan goals stemmed from his side of the flank, with Alexander-Arnold failing to track Rebic for both goals.
He made a superb goal-line clearance for the second. But it was too little too late as Diaz, his opposite number, was on hand to turn home the loose ball with a simple tap-in.
#3 Liverpool restore parity with lovely tiki-taka football
Liverpool were the better side in the opening stanza against AC Milan. But they found themselves 2-1 down at the break following two moments of defensive lapses.
A strong response was expected from them in the second half. The hosts provided exactly that, clawing their way back into the match with an equaliser just three minutes after the restart.
Alexander-Arnold started the move with a pass to Fabinho who laid the ball off for Divock Origi. The Belgian then produced a neat one-two with Salah as the Egyptian sneakily got in behind Milan's defence and looped home Liverpool's second of the night.
#4 Jordan Henderson screamer wins it for Liverpool
Jordan Henderson rarely scores goals. When it comes to Champions League particularly, he hadn't found the net since 2014. But on the night, he ended the drought in emphatic fashion.
The Liverpool captain lashed home an unstoppable low-drive into the bottom corner, which restored the home side's lead.
A routine corner from Alexander-Arnold was headed away by Ismael Bennacer. But the ball fell into the path of Henderson, who had a full sight of goal before unleashing an absolute screamer for an early 'goal of the season' contender.
#5 Group B could go down to the wire
Group of Death could be living up to its billing. That's because only two of Liverpool, AC Milan and Atletico Madrid will advance to the knockout round.
After one round of games, we have a Champions League classic. The Liverpool-Milan game was soaked in history, with the two sides meeting for the first time since the 2007 final.
And the match didn't disappoint. It was end-to-end stuff ,with the Rossoneri showing incredible spirit on their Champions League return after seven years and some great goals too.
The other match was a pale shadow of the Anfield showdown, though, as the Rojiblancos were held to a dour 0-0 draw by Porto. It was a disappointing result for the Spanish giants, as it keeps the group wide open after the first matchday.
There is still a long way to go, but early signs suggest Group B might just be going right down to the wire.
