Liverpool coach Arne Slot admits he ‘wouldn’t have said this after five minutes, but it went quite well’ in the comeback Champions League victory over Milan on his birthday.
It was a nightmare start for the Reds at San Siro, as within three minutes Christian Pulisic had opened the scoring with an angled drive.
However, after that Alisson Becker was practically undisturbed, as Liverpool turned it around with two almost identical headers from Ibrahim Konaté and Virgil van Dijk on set plays.
Dominik Szoboszlai bundled over the line for the final 3-1 result, with Mohamed Salah and Rafael Leao denied by the frame of the goal.
“It was a great day to celebrate your birthday at a stadium like this – and then to win. I wouldn’t have said this after five minutes, but it went quite well,” Slot told Amazon Prime Video Sport.
“We showed how well we can play on the ball. We like to press high and be really aggressive, but we also like to play out from the back and create chances.”
What a way to celebrate your birthday 🎉
A first UEFA Champions League win with Liverpool for Arne Slot 👊#UCLonPrime pic.twitter.com/b9RBJOkLka
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) September 17, 2024
Liverpool have won every game this season under their new coach, apart from Saturday’s surprise 1-0 Premier League home defeat to Nottingham Forest.
“Losing Saturday was a blow and to be 1-0 down early tonight, you are wondering how we react. But if you can play so good it is – I won’t say a disgrace – unbelievable you lose to Forest at home if you can play like this today.”
There were some surprises in his starting XI at San Siro, choosing Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota rather than Luis Diaz.
“I would have played Cody Gakpo on Saturday, but he played two games for the national side. Today was more a team display than an individual display.”
In stoppages, Slot also had the opportunity to give Italy international Federico Chiesa his Liverpool debut, coming off the bench at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
Slot celebrates birthday at San Siro
“I like how they played more than they way they sang for me!” 🤣
It was an ideal result for Liverpool on Arne Slot’s birthday… and he reveals what his players got him on his special day 🎂
🎙 @Becky_Ives_ | 📺 #GoalsShowXtra on @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/7pBJm95Erv
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 17, 2024