Liverpool aimed to recover from their recent defeat to Nottingham Forest with a victory in Milan on Tuesday.
The Reds began their campaign in the revamped Champions League with a match at San Siro against AC Milan.
On paper, it was a challenging fixture for Liverpool, especially considering Paulo Fonseca’s team had won 4-0 over the weekend.
Following Liverpool’s unexpected loss to Forest, the match got off to a disastrous start for Arne Slot’s side when Christian Pulisic took advantage of poor defending to score for Milan just three minutes in.
However, Liverpool quickly regained control in the first half. They scored two goals from set pieces, taking a 2-1 lead. After witnessing Milan’s decline, pundit Paul Merson expressed his disbelief.
Merson was stunned by AC Milan’s performance. Despite their shaky start, Liverpool clearly dominated the first half at San Siro.
Mohamed Salah hit the crossbar twice, and Liverpool had opportunities before Ibrahima Konate scored from a Trent Alexander-Arnold free-kick.
Although Milan began the match strongly, they allowed Liverpool to find their rhythm.
Before Virgil van Dijk scored to put Liverpool ahead, Merson commented on Sky Sports News (17/09/24 8:25 PM) that he couldn’t fathom the level of the Milan team.
“Liverpool will win this game three or four,” the former England international predicted.
“They are a significantly better team. I can’t believe what I’m witnessing with AC Milan. It’s astonishing.”
While it may be fashion week in Milan, Liverpool’s start to Tuesday’s game suggested they might face a tough challenge.
Following Saturday’s defeat, there were real concerns that Liverpool could struggle again for the full 90 minutes.
Pulisic’s early goal turned out to be misleading for the Italian side.
They may have shown Liverpool too much respect after taking the lead, failing to capitalize on their advantage. Instead, Liverpool demonstrated patience on the ball, waiting for the right moment.
Merson likely pointed out that this Milan team is far removed from those that once dominated Europe, which is a fair observation. Nonetheless, it took determination for Liverpool to mount such a strong comeback.
