Liverpool Defeats Atletico Madrid: Barcola's Cramp Causes Concern

Andoni Iraola moved quickly to calm Liverpool nerves after Bradley Barcola hobbled off in the 2-1 Champions League win over Atletico Madrid, insisting the club’s £106million summer signing was only suffering from cramp.

The French winger, whose fee could eventually rise to £123m, went down just before the hour at Anfield on Wednesday night, clutching his left calf and clearly in discomfort as medical staff rushed on. Moments later his night was over, with Jeremie Frimpong sent on in his place.

For a fanbase that has waited all summer to see him, it looked ominous. Iraola, though, cut through the anxiety.

“It’s just cramps, especially with Bradley,” the Liverpool boss said afterwards. “We are kind of rushing him as we haven’t had him in pre-season.”

This was Barcola’s first start for Liverpool, coming on the back of a 26‑minute Premier League debut off the bench at Ipswich Town last Friday. The lack of pre-season minutes showed in his legs, not in his movement.

Just before he went down, he should have had his first Liverpool goal.

Slipped in by a superb, threaded pass from Florian Wirtz, Barcola burst clear of the Atletico back line, opened his body and went for the far corner. Anfield held its breath. The ball skidded wide of the post. Hands on head, a rueful grin, and a chance gone.

The miss did not haunt Liverpool for long.

Alexis Mac Allister, who recently confirmed the club do not plan to offer him a new contract, stepped up with a strike of real authority. Picking the ball up just outside the area, the midfielder unleashed a vicious left-footed drive that flew beyond Jan Oblak and into the net, tilting a tense contest in the hosts’ favour.

That goal completed Liverpool’s turnaround after a familiar tormentor had struck again.

Marcos Llorente opened the scoring on 17 minutes, gliding past Milos Kerkez and drilling a low, powerful effort past Alisson. It was the tenth goal of his Champions League career; astonishingly, half of them have come against Liverpool, all at Anfield. Different seasons, different managers, same stadium, same scourge.

Dominik Szoboszlai applied the finish, side-footing calmly past Oblak, but the move belonged to Ronald Araujo. Stationed high, the defender produced a delicious flick through the legs of an Atletico marker, threading the ball perfectly into Szoboszlai’s stride. One touch, one look, one cool strike. Anfield roared; the tension eased.

With the game stretched late on, Liverpool thought they had killed it.

Frimpong, lively after replacing Barcola, followed in a rebound and tucked home from close range just before second-half stoppage time. He wheeled away in celebration, only for the flag to go up almost instantly. The replays were brutal but clear: offside, and the on-field decision stood.

Liverpool saw it out, Barcola’s cramp the only cloud on an otherwise encouraging European night. Iraola’s relief at the diagnosis was obvious. With Fulham visiting Anfield on Saturday and a trip to Austrian side LASK looming on October 14, he will need the club’s record signing fully up to speed very quickly.