'Anfield is not easy,' Lee Kang-in fought hard for '59 minutes' in the war of stars... but Atletico suffered a painful comeback defeat against Liverpool, 1-2.

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Kang-in (25) started in UEFA Champions League (UCL) matches for the first time this season and played about 59 minutes, but could not prevent Atletico Madrid from suffering a comeback defeat.

Under coach Diego Simeone, Atletico lost 1-2 in an away match against Liverpool at Anfield in Liverpool, UK, on the 10th (Korean time) for the first leg of the 2026-2027 UCL League Phase.

Atletico took the initiative. In the 17th minute of the first half, Julian Alvarez made a forward run and passed to Marcos Llorente, who calmly scored the opening goal with a left-footed shot.

Lee Kang-in's presence also stood out. In the 26th minute of the first half, he skillfully evaded Liverpool's fierce pressure with smooth dribbling and then delivered a sharp switching pass to Giuliano Simeone on the left side. This pass became the starting point for an attack that led to Alvarez's threatening long-range shot.

However, Liverpool's firepower was stronger. In the 40th minute of the first half, Bradley Barcola's shot was blocked by goalkeeper Oblak, but Soboslai secured the second ball and broke through the defense with a 2-on-1 pass to Araujo before scoring an equalizer.

In the 5th minute of the second half, Mac Allister connected with a ball that had flowed outside the box and struck a left-footed non-stop long-range shot to turn the match around.

After conceding the lead, Atletico substituted Lee Kang-in and Koke for Alejandro Grimaldo and Ademola Lookman in the 14th minute of the second half.

According to football statistics specialist 'FootMob', Lee Kang-in played about 59 minutes, proving his sharp kicking and ability to relieve pressure with a pass success rate of 89% (25/28), long-pass success rate of 100% (3/3), one chance created, and two passes in the attacking area. However, it was regrettable that he did not take a single shot. FootMob gave Lee Kang-in a rating of 6.1.

After Lee Kang-in was substituted off, Atletico increased their possession but failed to create any decisive scoring opportunities. Although Atletico had recorded only one loss (10 wins, 2 draws) when they scored the first goal in their last 13 UCL matches, they were unable to hold the lead today and missed out on their first points.

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*This content was translated by AI.