Mac Allister struck the decisive second-half goal as Liverpool recovered from a 17th-minute Marcos Llorente opener to beat Atletico Madrid 2-1, with Dominik Szoboszlai levelling before half-time via a Ronald Araújo assist. Speaking to TNT Sports afterwards, the Argentine reflected on a performance he felt captured his side's mentality.
"It was a good comeback. I think the first half was really good; we conceded a goal because we were not ready, we didn't defend well. But other than that, I think it was a very good first half.
"Then, the beginning of the second half was really good and we managed to score the second goal, which is good. Overall, it was a very good performance. That's really pleasing and now we have to think about the next one," he said.
Mac Allister pointed to the timing of Liverpool's goals as evidence of a clear pre-match plan.
"Before the game, we spoke about the beginning of the first half and the beginning of the second half as well. I liked the mentality. We showed desire, we got the fans behind us and that's really important when you play at Anfield. That's what we want and I think it's a really positive step for us," he said.
Asked about the technique behind his winning strike, Mac Allister described a familiar instinct rather than a rehearsed routine.
"It was a good hit. Normally when I'm in those positions I like to shoot. It doesn't happen very often but I'm happy because I love to score goals. Today, it was a nice goal and was important for the team as well, which is what I want," he said.
Looking ahead to the rest of Liverpool's Champions League campaign, Mac Allister was optimistic but measured about what the win could build towards.
"It's really important. What we can do, I don't really know, it's going to depend — it's up to us. As I said yesterday, I think we have an amazing team. We have quality, we have desire and we have everything to be successful. But we need to show it. We have to have everyone on the same page and we can do great things," he said.
"I know the expectations are high when you play for Liverpool and we want to meet them. We will try, we will work hard and hopefully we can get some trophies."