Report, reaction and more
Jurgen Klopp speaks ...
“It’s a tough game; we expected that,” he tells BT Sport. “We did surprisingly well at the beginning. Were we expecting them to be that defensive? Probably not. It was not so easy. We scored two wonderful goals then played good football.
“It was 2-0 then obviously Atletico are not too bothered about having possession. The first goal we gave away then the second, it was nice play but the gaps we had there ... that was not alright. At half time I think everyone in the stadium thought it was only going one way and we thought ‘let’s give it a proper try again’. We played a really solid second half in a tough game with intense football from both teams. We got the penalty, then there was a red card and obviously it was in our favour.”
On letting Atletico back into the game at 2-0 up: “They just won the balls and we didn’t do the right stuff anymore. We chose the easy pass but we needed to play between the lines. The last line was pretty deep. Then they came with wing-backs and midfielders and we stayed there instead of accelerating. The game was too slow and that was what they wanted. That was why the momemtum changed.
On the penalty decisions: “I saw them and our penalty is a penalty. I think the other one is not a penalty but I didn’t expect it [to be overturned]. I think it’s the right decision. The red card was for sure unlucky but it is a red card. A foot in the face. It can happen. It was a tough game. Honestly, how we win it? I couldn’t care less! On a night like this, getting three points is really nice.”
On Diego Simeone’s snub at the end of the game: “We don’t like that but yes the situation is clear,” he says. “I want to shake his hand. His reaction for sure, like mine, was not so cool. The next time we see each other we will shake hands definitely. It’s nothing. He was obviously angry, not with me but with the game.”
Match report: Atletico Madrid 2-3 Liverpool
Group B: Sid Lowe was at the Wanda Metropolitano to see Liverpool take the points after an action-packed evening featuring five goals, a red card, no end of controversy and a full-time snub.
Atletico’s non-penalty: The ball was crossed into the Liverpool penalty area from a free-kick. Jota nudged Gimenez – not Suarez, as previously reported – in the back and the substitute went down heavily. There was definitiely contact but clearly not enough to make referee Daniel Siebert think it merited a spot-kick on review. The referee over-ruled his original decision.
Liverpool’s penalty: Looking at replays - what was Mario Hermoso doing?!?!? A speculative ball over the top from Trent Alexnader-Arnold was dropping into the right side of the Atletico penalty area. Hermoso took a good look at Jota and barged him to one side as the ball fell. How on earth did he think he was going to get away with that?
Group B: Atletico Madrid 2-3 Liverpool
A quick recap: Liverpool looked home and hosed early in the second half, with Mo Salah and Naby Keita stunning the Wanda crowd into silence to put the visitors two goals in front. However, Atletico picked themselves off the canvas and threw a couple of haymakers of their own, with Antoine Griezmann scoring twice to restore parity.
The French striker was then sent off for a high boot on Roberto Firmino but Atletico looked to be holding on until Mario Hermoso gave away a daft penalty, which Mo Salah scored with a minimum of fuss. Atletico were subsequently awarded a penalty of their own for a Diogo Jota shove on Luis Suarez, only for German referee Daniel Siebert to overturn his decision after reviewing his decision on the pitchside monitor.
Elsewhere in Group B: Porto have beaten AC Milan 1-0 in Portugal, with Luis Diaz scoring the only goal of the game at the Estadio Do Dragao.
Full time: Atletico Madrid 2-3 Liverpool
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeep! It’s all over at the Wanda, where Liverpool have emerged winners of a tremendous, action and incident-packed game of football. Diego Simeone sprints off down the tunnel without shaking hands with Jurgen Klopp, leaving the Liverpool manager looking a lkittle bemused. Liverpool are top of Group B with nine points and can qualify for the knockout stages with two games to spare if they beat Atletico at Anfield next time out.
90+6 min: Firmonio slices a shot high and wide.
90+5 min: Luis Suarez is booked for dissent ... I think for complaining about not getting a free-kick after a coming-together with Virgil van Dijk. He continues berating the referee and is lucky to avoid a red.
90+3 min: Angel Correa blazes a glorious opportunity to equalise high and wide from the edge of the penalty area. On the touchline, Diego Simeone drops to his knees.
90+3 min: Liverpool substitution: Neco Williams on for Mo Salah.
90 min: We’ll have six minutes of added time, which is no great surprise considering the substitutoions, the amount of time it took Antoine Griezmann to leave the pitch after being sent off and the long VAR check.
88 min: Virgil van Dijk narrowly avoids being caught in possession by Correa on the edge of his own penalty area after receiving an unwanted pass from Alisson. A lesser man might have panicked but not Big Virgil.
87 min: Atletico flood forward but Joe Gomez and Robertson combine to clear Marcos Llorente’s cross from the right.
85 min: So, that Atletico quadruple-substitution: Correa, Suarez, Llorente and Lodi are on for Felix, Rodrigo De Paul, Lemar and Hermoso. Liverpool substitution: Joe Gomez on for Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Penalty decision overturned!
Well, well, well. Daniel Siebert overturns the decision despite evidence of a clear shove on Luis Suarez by Diogo Jota. I’m hugely surprised by that.
There's a VAR check
I don’t think this will be overturned but hmmm ... referee Daniel Siebert is gone to his pitchside monitor to have a look.
PENALTY FOR ATLETICO MADRID!!!
Crikey! Now Atletico have a spot-kick for a clumsy Diogo Jota trip on the just-introduced Luis Suarez as a free-kick was sent into the box.
Atletico Madrid quadruple substitution: Liverpool lead by the odd goal of five after Hermoso gives away a preposterous penalty for a really dumb foul and Diego Simeone finally gets his subs on. We’ll tell you who they are in a moment.
GOAL! Atletico Madrid 2-3 Liverpool (Salah 78pen)
Liverpool lead. Mo Salah sends Oblak the wrong way, slotting the ball into the bottom left-hand corner.
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PENALTY FOR LIVERPOOL!!!
Wow! Mario Hermoso barges Diogo Jota to one side on the right side of the penalty area as the pair chased a ball over the top. That’s a ridiculous foul.
75 min: Simeone has been trying to make a triple-substitution for obver five minutes but the ball won’t go out of play. It finally does, for a corner ..., but he’s not bringing them on at such a critical juncture where the margin for error is significantly higher.
73 min: Hermoso leaps to cut out an attempted Jordan Henderson dink into the Atletico Ppenalty area from the right. On the touchline, Diego Simeone is frantically conducting his orchestra in the stands, urging them to urge their players on. They duly oblige.
71 min: Showing boundless energy, Carrasco gallops down the left wing and tries to pick out Joao Felix in the centre. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain intercepts.
69 min: Liverpool win a corner but there’s a brief break in play as Hermoso goes down holding his hip. Firmino gets on the end of the inswinger and the ball ricochets out of play off the recovered Hermoso. Despite this, the ref awards a free-kick, thinking it took a touch off Joel Matip.
67 min: Elsewhere in Group B it’s Porto 1-0 AC Milan at the Estadio do Dragao, where Luis Diaz has fired the Porttuguese side ahead.
66 min: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain plays a good one-two with Mo Salah, collecting the return pass just inside the Atletico penalty area. His low, hard drive is straight at Oblak.
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64 min: Trent Alexander-Arnold is booked for handball. The game has got very scrappy indeed since Antoine Griezmann got dismissed, mainly because Atletico Madrid’s players are going to ground at every opportunity and vigorously appealing any small thing that might earn them a free-kick.
63 min: Liverpool double-substitution: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Diogo Jota on for James Milner and Sadio Mane.
61 min: Rodrigo wins himself a cheap free-kick halfway inside the Liverpool half, falling to the ground under mild pressure from Robertson.
60 min: Felipe gets on the end of a free-kick delivered into the Liverpool penalty area and volleys the ball narrowly wide of the far post. Offside.
59 min: James Milner is booked for an accidental elbow to the head of Kieran Trippier. On the touchline, Diego Simeone demands a red card. Milner can’t help but laugh.
58 min: Andy Robertson shoots over the bar from about 15 yards out after a good first touch left the ball sitting up beautifully for him.
56 min: Virgil van Dijk gets on the end of a Trent Alexander-Arnold cross from the right. His header sails straight into the gloves of Jan Oblak.
54 min: That seems a little harsh, if ultimately fair. Griezmann caught Firmino on the side of the head with a high boot as the pair contested the ball and is given a straight red for serious foul play. There was no malice there but by the strict letter of the law, he has to go.
Red card! Antoine Griezmann is sent off!
The Atletico Madrid man is given a straight red card for a high boot on Roberto Firmino.
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49 min: Alisson saves superbly from Yannick Carrasco, who scythes through the Liverpool defence and shots from the edge of the six-yard box.
48 min: Liverpool corner. Alexander-Arnold sends in an outswinger which is headed goalwards by Sadio Mane. Oblak fails to deal with it properly but Mario Hermoso eventually hacks clear.
47 min: A Salah flick off Yannick Carrasco goes out for a Liverpool throw-in deep in Atletcio Madrid territory. The Spanish side attack on the break but Fabinho puts a stop to their gallop.
Second half: Atletico Madrid 2-2 Liverpool
Play resumes. Fabinho replaces Naby Keita in the Liverpool ranks, while Jose Gimenez is on for Atletico’s Geoffrey Kondogbia.
Elsewhere in Group B: It’s scoreless between Porto and AC Milan at the Estadio do Dragao.
Half-time: Atletico Madrid 2-2 Liverpool
Peep! A tremendously fun first-half draws to a close with the sides all square. Liverpool went ahead through Mo Salah (or possibly James Milner), before doubling their lead courtesy of a cracking strike from Naby Keita. Atletico Madrid looked dead and buried, only to restore parity through two strikes from Antoine Griezmann. They’ve since gone close to going ahead, with Alisson forced to save from Joao Felix and Thomas Lemar.
45 + 1 min: Atletico get forward again but to no avail. Now Liverpool have the ball and Atletico’s fans are whistling for half-time.
43 min: Lemar tries to lift the ball over Alisson after cutting in from the left but the Liverpool goalkeeper sticks up a hand and saves.
42 min: Alisson tries to clear a long ball from deep but the ball cannons off Matip and back to the goalkeeper’s feet. That could have gone anywhere!
41 min: Atletico look a team reborn after their shaky start but now it’s Liverpool who are on the ropes. Joao Felix gets in behind and forces Alisson into a smart save.
35 min: Joao Felix ghosts past Naby Keita on the left flank, cuts inside a couple of Liverpool defenders and plays the ball into space on the edge of the penalty area. Griezmann darts between Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold and sends a low, diagonal first-time strike past Alisson into the bottom right-hand corner.
GOAL! Atletico Madrid 2-2 Liverpool (Griezmann 34)
Atletico pull level. Sound the “It’s that man again!” klaxon as Antoine Griezmann equalises for the hosts.
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33 min: Andy Robertson swings a free-kick from wide on the left into the Atletico penalty area. Jan Oblak saves comfortably from Joel Matip, who is first to the ball.
32 min: Mario Hemoso seems to have picked up an injury for Atletico, who are warming up a substitute.
29 min: Hermoso shoves Milner to the ground down by the corner flag. Free-kick for Liverpool. Moments previously, Kondogbia got away with a far worse foul on Sadio Mane just outside the Atletico penalty area. Nothing comes from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s set-piece.
27 min: Having had the wind knocked out of their sails by Liverpool’s two early goals Atletico’s crowd is back in fine voice, urging their team on. From inside his own half, Griezmann is played in behind by a long ball from deep, takes a good touch and finds himself one on one with Alisson. The goalkeeper is quick off his line to thwart the Frenchman.
Updated
23 min: So ... Naby Keita allowed Thomas Lemar to get in behind him at the byline and the Frenchman pulled the ball back to Koke on the edge of the penalty area. His low diagonal drive through a thicket of legs was prodded home by Griezmann, who stuck out a leg a couple of yards from the far post.
There’s a VAR check. And it takes a while ... but the goal stands.
GOAL! Atletico Madrid 1-2 Liverpool (Griezmann 21)
Atletico Madrid pull one back. Griezmann diverts a Koke shot from the edge of the penalty area home from about three yards out.
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20 min: Excellent defending by Trent Alexander-Arnold, who sticks out a leg to prevent an Antoine Griezmann cross reaching Carrasco at the far post. Corner.
19 min: Of course if it does go to Salah, that means the Egyptian has scored nine in consecutive games for Liverpool - a club record.
17 min: It seems Liverpool’s opener has now been attributed to Mo Salah, a state of affairs that suggests the ball went in off Geoffrey Kondogbia rather than James Milner. If I was Milner I’d be launching an inquiry into that. We’ll see it again at half-time.
14 min: Diego Simeone is apoplectic in his technical area while his players point fingers at each other out on the pitch. It’s small wonder - Atletico Madrid are all over the place. On this occasion, the ball is poorly cleared by an off balance Felipe, but only towards Naby Keita on the edge of the area. He sends an unstoppable volley past Oblak, the ball curling away from the goalkeeper giving him no chance.
GOAL! Atletico Madrid 0-2 Liverpool (Keita 13)
Liverpool double their lead. It’s a rasper from Naby Keita, who smashes a right-foot volley past Oblak from the edge of the penalty area.
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11 min: Back to that goal. Mo Salah picked up the ball on the inside right, cut inside makeshift left-back Yannick Carrasco with ease and unleashed a low drive from just inside the penalty area. Either through accident or design - we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and say the latter – James Milner stuck out a foot and diverted his effort past Jan Oblak.
9 min: Liverpool almost double their lead, with Sadio Mane squaring the ball from the inside left. Roberto Firmino can’t quite reach it to prod home from six yards.
GOAL! Atletico Madrid 0-1 Liverpool (Milner 8)
Liverpool lead. A Mo Salah shot from just inside the Atletico penalty area takes a massive deflection off James Milner and fizzes past the hopelessly wrongfooted Oblak.
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6 min: Joel Matip and Virgil van Dijk exchange passes, each standing on either side of the centre-circle. All 11 Atletico players are inside their own half.
5 min: Goal kick for Atletico, which Jan Oblak sends straight out of play for a throw-in, just past the halfway line.
3 min: Thomas Lemar gives the ball away to Jordan Henderson as the sides try to suss each other ouit in these very early opening stages.
2 min: Trent Alexander-Arnold plays a cross-field pass to Andy Robertson on the halfway line. Atletico win possession. The Spanish side look to have lined up with a back three, which may change depending on whether or not they have the ball.
Atletico Madrid v Liverpool is go ...
1 min: Liverpool get the ball rolling, the crowd having booed the players taking the knee. Among the Atletico players, for what it’s worth, only Kieran Trippier and Yannick Carrasco did so.
Not long now ... The players of Liverpool emerge from the tunnel, wearing yellow shirts, shorts and socks. Those of Atletico wear their usual home kit of red and white shirts, blue shorts and blue socks. Jordan Henderson leads out the visitors, while Koke wears the armband for Atletico.
300 not out: Hats off to Mr Roberto Firmino, who makes his 300th appearance for Liverpool tonight.
Full time: Club Brugge 1-5 Manchester City
Group A: Manchester City were imperious as they swatted Club Brugges aside in ... well, In Bruges.
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Atletico Madrid v Liverpool line-ups
Atletico Madrid: Oblak, Felipe, Kondogbia, Hermoso, Koke, Trippier, Lemar, De Paul, Carrasco, Joao Felix, Griezmann.
Subs: Lecomte, Gimenez, Suarez, Correa, Renan Lodi, Llorente, Herrera, Matheus Cunha, Vrsaljko.
Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, van Dijk, Robertson, Milner, Henderson, Keita, Salah, Firmino, Mane.
Subs: Fabinho, Konate, Gomez, Adrian, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Minamino, Jota, Tsimikas, Origi, Phillips, Kelleher, Williams.
Referee: Daniel Siebert (Germany)
Full-time: Celtic 2-0 Ferencvaros
Europa League: For various reasons I won’t bore you with, Celtic were forced to play their match against Hungarian Champions Ferencvaros earlier this afternoon and a commendably almost-full house at Celtic Park saw their team get their Europa League campaign up and running after two defeats with a fairly emphatic win.
James Milner and Naby Keita start for Liverpool ...
With Fabinho among the substitutes, the duo will line up in the centre of the park for Liverpool alongside Jordan Henderson, while Roberto Firmino gets the nod ahead of Diogo Jota in their front three. For Atletico, Kieran Trippier starts while Jose Gimenez and Luis Suarez are both on the bench.
Jurgen Klopp speaks ...
“If you win both games against Atletico it’s likely you go through,” said Liverpool’s manager, of a team whose tactics he has been less than complimentary about in the not too distant past. “We lost both games last time though, so let’s see. I am not that positive to think we have this in our pocket. A tough place to go. We learned a lot. Second leg was the toughest game in the toughest circumstances.
“Atlético are different [now] because they play a different system, but they are still the results machine they were before. It’s incredible how Diego keeps them all on their toes. No criticism of that.” Klopp went to say that “Atlético will eat you if you’re not brave”.
Diego Simeone speaks ...
“Chelsea, City, Liverpool, they’re going through a fantastic spell,” said Atletico’s manager. “It is a pleasure to see how [Liverpool] play. They have quick players on the break. With Van Dijk back, they have improved their defensive stability. We will try and find a way to hurt them.”
Tonight’s match officials
- Referee: Daniel Siebert
- Assistant referees: Rafael Foltyn and Lasse Koslowski
- Fourth official: Sven Jablonski
- Video Assistant Referee: Bastian Dankert
Kieran Trippier speaks: The Atletico and England defender sat down with Sid Lowe to discuss – while simultaneously not not really discussing – his ban for betting related activities last season, the guilt he would have felt if it had derailed his club’s La Liga title tilt, his eventual delight at becoming a Spanish champion, a potential return to the Premier League and much, much more. Read on ...
Early team news ...
Atletico Madrid are without their Montenegran central defender, who is both injured and suspended, while his Uruguayan defensive partner Jose Giminez is also expected to miss out after picking up a hip injury on international duty. More used to playing as a defensive midfielder, Geoffrey Kondogbia could come in as cover depending on Diego Simeone’s formation. Brazilian striker Matheus Cunha, recently linked with a move to Arsenal, is also out.
Working on the assumptiomn that Gimenez will start tonight, Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo think Marcos Llorente could start at right wing-back tonight ahead of of Trippier, with Rodrigo De Paul and Kondogbia in midfield. They also suggest Liverpool old boy Luis Súarez will start on the bench.
Thiago and Harvey Elliott remain sidelined for Liverpool, while Alisson and Fabinho are available after missing Liverpool’s trip to Watfrod on Saturday. The Brazilian duo flew straight to Madrid upon their return from international duty and have spent the past four days doing recon on the hotel breakfast buffet for their team-mates.
With Curtis Jones unlikely to feature, one of James Milner or Naby Keita looks likely to be drafted into midfield. Having scored a hat-trick against Watford with three shots fired from a combined distance of six inches, Roberto Firmino may get the nod ahead of Diogo Jota.
Virgil van Dijk speaks: The Dutchman has said he feels under greater scrutiny since recovering from a serious knee injury and, in an ominous message for Liverpool’s rivals, has room for improvement in the heart of Jürgen Klopp’s defence. Andy Hunter reports from Madrid ...
Group B: Atletico Madrid v Liverpool
The Wanda Metropilitano is the venue for tonight’s mouthwatering clash between Spanish champions Atletico Madrid and visitors Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp’s side top the group with two wins from two, while Atletico are in second place following a slightly fortuitous draw against Porto and an even more lucky win against AC Milan which came courtesy of an extremely late penalty award that could scarcely have been more unjust.
There’s recent “previous” between these two sides, with Atletico having prevailed in both group games the season before last. Kick-off at the Wanda is at 8pm (BST) but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.
