Jamie Carragher Praises Florian Wirtz Improvement But Flags Liverpool Defensive Concerns After Atletico Win

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has admitted he saw some worrying signs from his former club despite their comeback victory over Atletico Madrid.

The Reds came from behind to defeat Atletico 2-1 at Anfield, with new manager Andoni Iraola making a winning start to the new Champions League campaign.

Carragher felt Liverpool looked wide open at times in the first half, with the team not appearing compact enough defensively as Atletico took an early lead.

Despite those concerns, the pundit acknowledged there were more positive signs in the second half as Liverpool fought back to claim all three points on the night.

Carragher also singled out Florian Wirtz for praise, suggesting the German midfielder looked “a lot better” after a period in which the player has been struggling for form.

It was a significant night for Iraola personally, as he managed in the Champions League for the first time and recorded a big victory against an experienced opponent in Diego Simeone.

Simeone has guided Atletico Madrid to two Champions League finals across his long tenure at the club, making this a serious test for the Liverpool head coach so early into his reign.

Carragher made clear his happiness for Iraola following the result, posting on social media that it was “a good win for Liverpool last night, but an even better one for the manager Andoni Iraola.”

Liverpool had not made the most convincing start to the season before this result, drawing Iraola’s first two matches away to Newcastle United and at home to Nottingham Forest.

However, the club has now strung together back-to-back wins, beating Ipswich Town 2-0 in the Premier League before following that up with last night’s triumph over Atletico.

Iraola will still need time to bring in more of his own players and fully implement the style he had considerable success with during his time at Bournemouth.

This looks likely to be a transitional season for Liverpool overall, though there is still every reason to believe significant progress can be made under the new manager.

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