Virgil van Dijk emotionally responds to Ibrahima Konate’s message after Liverpool Champions League heroics
Virgil van Dijk has shown his gratitude towards centre-back partner Ibrahima Konate after the Dutchman stole the show in Liverpool’s 3-2 win against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
Liverpool have been flawless in the Premier League so far this season, with four wins from as many games to begin their title defence with aplomb.
Arne Slot‘s side aimed to continue their strong form with a win against Atletico Madrid in their first Champions League clash of the campaign on Tuesday (17 September), and were on track to do so as Andy Robertson and Mo Salah gave them a 2-0 lead inside six minutes.
Atletico fought back to halve the lead just before the interval though, and Marcos Llorente thought he had earned his side a point when he netted his brace with just nine minutes of normal time left.
Liverpool have made a habit of scoring late goals so far in 2025-26, however, and Virgil van Dijk delivered the goods this time with a crashing headed winner past Jan Oblak in added-time to send Anfield into raptures, with Konate now addressing the special nature of their late win on social media.
Ibrahima Konate issues ‘nothing like it’ message after another Champions League cracker at Anfield
Anfield has been the scene of a number of huge Champions League moments for Liverpool over the years, like Divock Origi’s iconic winner against Barcelona, for example, with the ground regarded as one of the best on the continent to play at under the lights in said competition.
Van Dijk’s last-gasp winner turned a disappointing draw into another significant occasion that will be remembered by Reds fans for years to come, and Konate is no different as he took to Instagram on Thursday (18 September) to write: “Champions League nights… nothing like it” with heart eyes and fire emojis.
The Frenchman’s message was responded to by match-winner Van Dijk, who replied with a red heart emoji, while others such as Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, Milos Kerkez and Alexis Mac Allister all reacted by liking the post.
Konate has proved doubters wrong and Liverpool need to do all they can to keep him
Konate’s Liverpool performances were questioned in the first few weeks of the new campaign, but he has bounced back and looked like his usual imperious self in the last couple of outings.
He played particularly well against Atletico, with 97% pass accuracy, seven clearances, three recoveries and both of ground duels won across the 90 minutes in which he played.
While Van Dijk stole the headlines, he quietly got on with his defensive duties and proved that he can still be the rock at the back that the Reds need to compete on all fronts this term.
Football Insider revealed in May that Real Madrid were “very interested” in signing Konate, and Liverpool wanted to sign Marc Guehi at the end of the window but could not get the move over the line, with both players eventually remaining at their respective sides.
Real Madrid feel confident about landing Konate on a free transfer next summer amid the Reds’ struggles to tie him down to a new deal, but the 26-year-old is still clearly one of the best in his position, and Liverpool must continue to try to keep him as long as they possibly can.