Liverpool once again left it perilously late to snatch all three points, with a precise header from Virgil van Dijk securing the Reds a victory against Atletico Madrid in their first Champions League match of the season on Wednesday evening.

Arne Slot's team seemed to be sailing smoothly thanks to early goals from Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah. However, true to Liverpool's recent flair for theatrics, the Premier League champions let their lead slip as Marcos Llorente netted twice to level the game.

For the fifth consecutive match, the Reds were saved by a last-minute winner, this time from their inspirational skipper.

Reds' supporters are now yearning for just one ordinary day of football, but that hasn't come about just yet.

With Atletico manager Diego Simeone at the centre of a contentious face-off with a fan during the Champions League clash and a substantial financial windfall on the horizon for Slot, Daily Star Sport delves into all the latest news from Anfield.

The revamped Champions League format is now in its second year and has brought a significant increase in funds for the participating clubs. Prize money has risen by a third this season, reports the Mirror.

The total prize pot now stands at £2.06 billion, up from £1.74 billion under the previous format. Such is the financial reward, that every qualifying club pockets £15.7 million, regardless of their performance in the league phase.

At this point in the competition, each victory nets a club £1.8m and a draw brings in £590,000. Liverpool pocketed £1.8m for their Wednesday win, and if they secure eight victories in the group stage, they'll rake in a tidy £14.4m.

UEFA will also award £1.7m to each team that finishes in the league phase's top eight. This provides a significant incentive for Slot's squad to emulate their previous season's performance when they triumphed in the league phase.

In response to his altercation with Liverpool supporters following Van Dijk's last-minute winner, Simeone has spoken out. The unsavoury episode resulted in the Argentinian being shown a red card by the referee.

Post-match, Simeone justified his heated reaction towards the fans to the media. "They always talk about taking care of each other, but they insult you throughout the entire match and you can't say anything because you're the manager," he stated.

"My reaction was unjustifiable, but do you know what it's like to be insulted for 90 minutes, to turn around after the opponent scores and still be insulted? It's not that easy.

"(The referee told me) he understood me. I hope Liverpool can improve that aspect and that when they identify the person who did that, there will be consequences.

"There were insults throughout the match, including gestures. It's clear that I'm the one who has to stay calm, I have to put up with the insults, the gestures and any situation. Because I'm in a position where I have to put up with it."

UEFA is reportedly preparing to launch an investigation following the incident. The governing body may take action after an Atletico Madrid staff member was allegedly filmed spitting towards Liverpool supporters amidst the chaos.

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher had a succinct two-word reaction to Liverpool's last-minute victory on Wednesday night. In all five matches this season, Liverpool have netted their winning goal in either the 83rd minute or later.

These last-gasp victories have led rival fans to label Liverpool as fortunate. However, ex-Reds defender Carragher cheekily embraced Liverpool's knack for late drama with a playful social media post, penning: "Devil's club," accompanied by five laughing emojis.

While some Liverpool fans, including Carragher, might be relishing the late-game excitement, goalscorer Robertson isn't quite as thrilled. "I think we need to maybe get back to winning a bit simpler and a bit easier," he shared with TNT Sports post-match.

Liverpool's head coach Slot echoed these sentiments, stating: "I think that's what we showed again today, that we can beat them also by mentality. But I think we should have made it easier for ourselves."

Liverpool news: Arne Slot's side set for Champions League boost after Diego Simeone's fury - Daily Star