In this video
- Atletico opened with a structure they had not used all season, and matching up took too long. After the adjustments and the equaliser Liverpool were the better team, he says, with the crowd carrying the second half.
- A lovely goal, and the wider point matters more to him: his midfielders naturally arrive in the box, and for all the talk of structure and holding position he wants the team scoring from exactly those arrivals.
- The forward who went off holding his calf was only cramping. His match condition is still being built, nobody knew how many minutes he could give, and two clear chances against the keeper are the sign Iraola wanted.
- Defending his side really well, and his offensive game gets underrated because he is a centre-back: an assist tonight and good serves from that position. Iraola says he has come to show he belongs at this level.
- No proper injury, but he finished the last game with knocks and missed this one. With Fulham at Anfield in two and a half days the priority is recovery, and Iraola hopes to have him back without guaranteeing it.
- The line the post is built on. This team has no years of shared experience to lean on, so corrections happen live, mid-game. Coming from behind three times in four games shows the character; the next step is making it cleaner.
Iraola Hails Liverpool’s “Big Character” After Atletico Madrid Win Liverpool’s Champions League Comeback Says Everything About This Team
At Utopia Sports, we go behind the scenes of European football to bring you closer to the game. From exclusive press conferences and training sessions to player interviews from all across Europe.
