Arne Slot Surprised By Isak's Fitness In His Debut At Liverpool

JAKARTA - Liverpool manager, Arne Slot, admitted that he was surprised by the fitness of striker Alexander Isak in his Champions League debut against Atletico Madrid, Thursday, September 18, 2025, early morning WIB.

The Swedish player played 58 minutes in a 3-2 win before being replaced by his new signing in the summer, Hugo Ekitike.

Isak joined the Premier League champions from Newcastle United on the last day of the transfer market with a record British transfer of 125 million pounds. He is still trying to achieve full fitness after the disruption of pre-season.

"Within 60 minutes of playing, he looked pretty fit for me. It didn't mean after 10 minutes he was so tired."

"He can play at this level quite well after a week or two of team training sessions. So, that's the problem. He can play football and he's fun to watch. It's not a surprise to me."

"He's fitter than I expected, but the fans shouldn't expect too much. We played three times a week and it was too hard for him."

"We have two great number nine players. We will use both of them throughout their careers here," Arne Slot told TNT Sports.

Liverpool sealed a win against Atletico Madrid with captain Virgil van Dijk's header in the last minute, having lost a two-goal lead for the third time this season.

The Reds will next play in the Merseyside Derby against Everton at Anfield on Saturday, September 20, 2025.

Isak is likely to be played again by Arne Slot to help him achieve top performance with Liverpool.