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Lee Kang-in (25)'s Atletico Madrid teammate, Marcos Llorente (31), fired again at Liverpool's home ground, "Anfield," named after his own dog. However, his team suffered a painful comeback defeat.
The UK's "The Sun" reported on the 10th (Korea time) that "Llorente continues to torment Liverpool at Anfield, and his dog's name has become another provocation." Llorente has shown particular strength at Anfield, including scoring multiple goals in an away match during the UEFA Champions League (UCL) Round of 16 in 2020.
On this day, Llorente scored the opening goal in the 17th minute of the 2026-2027 UCL League Phase Matchday 1 away game held at Anfield in Liverpool, UK. This was his fifth career goal at Anfield.
When he scored, fans reacted on social media (SNS) saying, "He keeps scoring after naming his dog 'Anfield'." Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard also joked during the broadcast, "I should name my dog 'Goodison'," referencing the home ground of local rivals Everton. However, only 3 of the 10th goals Gerrard scored in the Merseyside Derby during his playing career were actually at Goodison Park.
Despite Llorente's performance, Atletico lost 1-2. Liverpool equalized in the 40th minute of the first half with a goal from Dominik Szoboszlai, then overturned the game in the 5th minute of the second half when Alexis Mac Allister scored a decisive long-range winner. For Atletico, which had recorded only one loss (10 wins, 2 draws) after scoring the opening goal in their last 13 UCL matches, it was a painful comeback defeat where they failed to hold their lead.
Lee Kang-in, who started on this day, played for 59 minutes. He effectively served as the starting point of the attack with fluid ball retention and sharp passing but recorded no direct shots and was substituted in the 14th minute of the second half. Football statistics media "FootMob" gave Lee Kang-in a rating of 6.1 for his 89% pass success rate.
Meanwhile, due to changes in UEFA regulations, the two teams will not face each other at Anfield from next season's League Phase onward. Liverpool will host Fulham on the 12th, while Atletico Madrid will travel to Real Sociedad on the 13th.
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*This content was translated by AI.
