Klopp refuses to point finger
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Barney Ronay on Atlético's smash and grab
Andy Hunter's player ratings
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That’s it for tonight’s blog. I’ll leave you with our match report from Anfield. Thanks for your company - bye.
Here’s Jordan Henderson
“I thought the performance overall was very good, but we’re disappointed with the goals we conceded. You need to be fully focussed at all times, we’ve seen that over the years. We created so many chances to score. We’ve got to take it on the chin.”
Here’s Kieran Trippier
“We needed to stay strong defensively, keep our shape, and try to frustrate them as much as we could. We kept on going and we got the win. Liverpool are very strong at home – we knew that – but we knew we’d get our chances if we broke the first press. It was about being clinical in that moment, and we sure were tonight.
“Never give up. The way we play is the way we train – the manager is the same in training as he is on the touchline. It’s a joy to work with him and to learn off him. I’m delighted to be here.”
“You have to give Atlético some credit,” says Juan Antonio Escudero. “Tough side. And no shenanigans.”
Yeah, they were pretty well behaved. They did so well to stay in the tie when they were being battered.
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“Your comments today,” says K A Tsokos. “Please look up the meaning of the word ‘hybris’.”
I would do but I threw my dictionary out of the window in a huff when Morata scored.
Football, effing hell. Liverpool slaughtered Atletico Madrid for 95 minutes, playing with awesome relentlessness, and finally went ahead in the tie through Roberto Firmino’s goal at the start of extra time. But a desperate mistake from Adrian led to Marcos Llorente’s first goal, which put Atletico ahead on away goals, and they grabbed two more in a surreal end to the tie.
They barely had an attack in normal time. But their defensive resilience was extraordinary, because that Liverpool performance would have beaten many teams by five or six. If ever there was a team in the image of their manager...
Full time: Liverpool 2-3 Atletico Madrid (agg: 2-4)
That’s it! Liverpool are out of the Champions League after an extraordinary period of extra-time at Anfield.
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Diego Simeone is off down the touchline, spreading his arms wide to the adoring Atletico fans. This is one of the greatest nights in their history. Morata ran onto a return pass from Llorente, surged into the area and curled a low shot past Adrian at the near post.
GOAL! Liverpool 2-3 Atletico Madrid (Morata 120+1)
That’s it!
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120 min Two minutes.
119 min Alexander-Arnold brattishly shoves over Morata, who gets up and goes head to head with Alexander-Arnold. Both are booked. It’s a slightly undignified end to Liverpool’s reign as European champions, though you can understand why their collective noggin has gone.
118 min “Hardly matters does it?” says Des Platt. “Competition is going nowhere except possibly behind closed doors which is meaningless.”
With that kind of positive spin, you should be in politics.
117 min Minamino’s cross is headed up in the air by van Dijk and palmed away by Oblak, who is fouled needlessly by Milner in the process. Liverpool’s heads have gone.
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116 min Van Dijk is playing centre forward now. Origi wins a corner and takes it short to Milner, whose cross is nutted away by Saul.
115 min Mane curls well wide from 25 yards. Liverpool have been too impatient since Atletico’s first goal. For the 97 minutes before that, they were astonishingly good.
115 min Liverpool can’t get any momentum. The subdued atmosphere can’t help, but it’s understandable in the circumstances.
113 min Liverpool’s last change: Minamino for Firmino.
113 min “It’s Wednesday, Rob,” says Niall Fogarty. “It’s Wednesday.”
It’ll be Thursday by the time this goes to penalties!
112 min An ill-conceived shot from Origi, on the left of the area, goes well wide of the near post.
111 min The Anfield atmosphere is as dreadful as it was brilliant earlier in the game, though that will change if they get one. I think everyone, including the Liverpool players, is slightly in shock.
110 min Another corner to Liverpool. Alexander-Arnold’s booming curler goes out of play and then swerves back onto the field.
109 min “A couple more goals,” says Bill Hargreaves, “and this most definitely won’t go to penalties.”
109 min Mane goes down in the area, but the referee isn’t interested. He’s wagged his finger a lot tonight.
108 min Liverpool must be winning about 17-0 on Expected Goals.
107 min Mane’s dangerous low cross is pushed away by Oblak. Atletico have now parked a fleet of buses in their own area.
106 min Liverpool kick off the second half of extra time. I can’t quite believe this is happening.
Atletico make a change as well: Gimenez for Correa.
A double change for Liverpool: Origi and Fabinho replace Wijnaldum and Henderson.
Liverpool could still do this. Two goals in 15 minutes is not beyond them.
Half time in extra time: Liverpool 2-2 Atletico Madrid (agg: 2-3)
This is staggering. Liverpool absolutely battered Atletico for 97 minutes. And then Alexander-Arnold passed the ball back to Adrian.
105+2 min That second Llorente goal means the tie can no longer go to penalties.
Now Liverpool need two goals or they are out. Atletico broke down the right through Morata, who clipped the ball infield to find Llorente 25 yards from goal. He ran at the backpedalling Gomez, moved the ball away from Henderson on the edge of the D and curled another precise right-footed shot that dipped under the dive of Adrian. He might have done better with that as well, though I’d like to see it again.
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GOAL! Liverpool 2-2 Atletico Madrid (agg: 2-3; Llorente 105+1)
What on earth is happening?
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103 min Alvaro Morata replaces Joao Felix for Atletico.
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102 min “No Rob it wasn’t going to pens after Liverpool scored their 2nd on the night,” says Niall Fogarty.
Fair point. It was all so frantic, from one goal to the next, that I forgot what day it was.
101 min Some news from Italy. This match might be the last football we see for a while.
Juventus confirm Daniele Rugani has tested positive for COVID-19 https://t.co/xTS2Qh8swv
— James Horncastle (@JamesHorncastle) March 11, 2020
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100 min Liverpool dust themselves off and go again. Henderson’s chipped cross is headed to the edge of the area, where Salah volleys over.
98 min That Llorente goal means the tie can’t go to penalties. As things stand, Atletico are going through on the away goals rule.
Alexander-Arnold played the ball back to Adrian, who kicked it straight to Joao Felix 40 yards form goal. He played a simple reverse pass to Llorente on the edge of the area, and he curled a precise low shot into the far corner. Oh my. Adrian might have saved the shot had he not slipped as he tried to move across his line. But the real howler was the clearance to Joao Felix.
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GOAL! Liverpool 2-1 Atletico (agg: 2-2; Llorente 97)
Atletico have scored after a howler from Adrian! They’re ahead on away goals.
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This team are just awesome, utterly relentless. Wijnaldum charged down the right and hammered a cross towards Firmno 10 yards from goal. His superb downward header beat the diving Oblak and hit the inside of the far post, but the ball rebounded perfectly for Firmino to cushion a volley into the open net. It’s his first goal at Anfield all season.
GOAL! Liverpool 2-0 Atletico Madrid (Firmino 94)
Roberto Firmino scores at Anfield!
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92 min: More chances for Liverpool! Wijnaldum’s drive is pushed away by the plunging Oblak, a fine save down to his right. The ball comes back to Wijnaldum, who stands up a cross towards Firmino on the six-yard line, but he can’t quite get over the ball and it skims off his head and away from goal.
91 min Peep peep! Atletico begin extra time, having made another change: Vrsaljko on for Trippier, who is presumably knackered, at right back.
Full time: Liverpool 1-0 Atletico Madrid (agg: 1-1)
Despite some ferocious attacking from Liverpool, the tie is going to extra time. See you soon.
SAUL NIGUEZ HAS A GOAL DISALLOWED! It will be checked. He was a million miles offside, in fact, before he headed it superbly into the top corner. Simeone and half the Atletico bench were on the pitch.
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90+2 min Alexander-Arnold concedes a silly free-kick, 30 yards from goal on the left. This will be the last attack of normal time.
90+1 min Oblak makes a comfortable save from Salah’s snap volley.
90 min We’re a couple of minutes away from extra time.
88 min Alexander-Arnold’s shot is desperately blocked by Saul Niguez. This is an unreal onslaught from Liverpool, and moments later Mane puts another overhead kick over the bar. That was a tougher chance than the first.
87 min Salah comes this close to putting Liverpool through. He beat three players as he zipped infield from the right and then smashed a rising drive that beat Oblak but just cleared the crossbar.
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86 min Whatever happens, Liverpool have been immense tonight.
85 min Yet another chance for Liverpool. Milner stands up a cross from the left to Wijnaldum at the far post. He heads it back across the area to Mane, whose spectacular overhead kick flashes over the bar.
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84 min Liverpool are just relentless. It’s quite something to watch. Wijnaldum’s vicious shot, from a ridiculous angle, is slapped away by a startled Oblak.
82 min James Milner replaces Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who has been terrific.
81 min A brilliant corner from Liverpool. Alexander-Arnold takes it short, gets it back and then hammers a sharp pass towards the unmarked Robertson in the D. He charges onto the ball - but then slashes it over the bar. That was a decent chance.
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79 min Saul Niguez’s snap volley from 30 yards goes approximately 30 yards wide.
78 min More superb play from Partey, who beats two players near the halfway line and draws a foul from Firmino. He’s majestic.
77 min A little bit of possession for Atletico, who were in urgent need of a beeather. An away goal now would be devastating, although they still don’t really look like scoring.
75 min Thomas Partey has had a brilliant game for Atletico. He’s been their most composed player in possession by a distance, and he’s probably been their best ballwinner as well.
74 min The diminutive Correa tries to pick a fight with van Dijk, who looks him down and further down with contempt.
73 min “To those pondering where they might have seen Diego Simeone’s hairdo before,” begins Christian Svanes Kolding, “might I beseech them to examine photos of Tom Waits early in his career?”
72 min The corner is headed away at the near post.
71 min Oxlade-Chamberlain surges down the right to win a corner. Liverpool are having one of their irresistible spells.
70 min Oblak has made a lot of saves in this match, at least six or seven, although they have all been good rather than great.
69 min Talking of which: Alexander-Arnold swishes a cracking shot from 30 yards that is palmed away by Oblak, diving to his right. The ball rebounds to the other full-back, Robertson, whose shot is vitally blocked by Trippier.
68 min A wicked inswinging corner from Alexander-Arnold is dropped behind him by Oblak, who is glad to see Lodi lump the ball clear. Alexander-Arnold’s ball-striking is just incredible.
66 min: Robertson hits the bar! I thought that was in. Salah twisted outside Lodi out on the right side of the area and hit a deflected cross-shot into the middle. Robertson got in front of Tripper on the six-yard line, but his header smacked off the crossbar. Having got to the ball, he probably should have scored.
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64 min Atletico have been a bit better since the substitution. They’ve had shots on goal and everything.
63 min Saul Niguez tries to score from 60 yards. He spotted Adrian on the edge of the penalty area and had a pop with his left foot. It drifted a few yards wide; I suspect Adrian would have got back in time anyway.
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61 min: Adrian makes a double save! Joao Felix’s low, long-range shot was fumbled dismally by Adrian, but he made up for his mistake by charging across the area to sprawl at the feet of Correa. The second save was excellent.
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60 min: Firmino misses a great chance! Alexander-Arnold’s curling free-kick from the right beat Oblak and reached Firmino beyond the far post. He mistimed a half-volley at goal, however, and Oblak was able to palm the ball away. Firmino shouldn’t have given him a chance.
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59 min A relatively quiet few minutes. It does feel like a second Liverpool goal is coming, though.
56 min Correa has moved up front for Atletico, so they are still playing 4-4-2. Joao Felix hits a tame shot straight at Adrian from 25 yards.
55 min Atletico make their first change: the midfielder Marcos Llorente replaces Diego Costa, who shakes his head in disgust and then hoofs something as he leaves the field. He’s fuming. He’s also done bugger all.
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54 min Atletico look like they’re playing for penalties, already. Oxlade-Chamberlain hits a crisp low drive from 30 yards that is palmed behind at full stretch by Oblak. The conditions certainly favour long-range shooting.
53 min Liverpool’s relentlessness is starting to wear Atletico down. Salah fizzes a great pass infield to Oxlade-Chamberlain, who lifts a hopeful shot over the bar from the right side of the box. He should have crossed it.
52 min Atletico can’t keep the ball for more than a few seconds. Diego Costa, bless him, has been useless.
51 min “Hi Rob,” says Scott Oliver. “The hipsters and Hispanists will be aware that Atlético are known as los colchoneros, ‘the mattress makers’. They perhaps don’t realise this is because the city’s production of mattresses has increased by 843% since Simeone became El Gafferísimo, on account of him scattering them around the training ground for the three-times-a-week simulation sessions.”
I don’t think they’ve been too bad tonight, yet.
50 min Oblak makes a good save from Mane, although the flag had gone up.
48 min Wijnaldum sprays an outstanding long pass to Salah, who has too much pace for Lodi and charges into the area on the right. He tries to curl the ball into the far corner but his shot is too close to Oblak, who saves comfortably.
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47 min “It’s bothered me since the first leg whose hair do Simone’s reminds me of,” says Charles Antaki. “He seems to have lopped two inches off the top, but still I think it’s Eraserhead from the eponymous David Lynch film. Dark, brooding, utterly bleak, with a hint of malevolent comedy. The film’s not bad either.”
46 min Peep peep! Liverpool begin the second half. It’s still pouring down at Anfield.
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“Well,” says Matt Dony, “the first half was Quite Annoying.”
“Wijnaldum and the Spanish,” says Robin Michael Thompson. “I don’t think Wijnaldum has ever forgiven the foul on Salah in the 1919 final.”
He’s got a long memory.
Atletico almost made it to half-time with their unique combination of heroic defending and brazen snidery. But Gini Wijnaldum’s excellent header has brought Liverpool level in the tie, and they’ll be attacking the Kop in the second half.
Atletico need a goal. If they get one, they might sneak through. If not, no chance.
Half time: Liverpool 1-0 Atletico Madrid (agg: 1-1)
Peep peep! The corner was overhit by Alexander-Arnold.
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45+1 min One minute of added time. Liverpool have a corner...
44 min Just in case you’d forgotten, Wijnaldum scored twice against Barcelona in the semi-final last year.
That is a terrific header. The move started when Salah played a simple ball to the underlapping Oxlade-Chamberlain on the right. He curled an excellent cross on the turn towards the penalty spot, where Wijnaldum was waiting. He slammed a header into the ground that zipped off the wet turf and into the far corner, past the diving Oblak. The power and especially the placement were perfect.
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GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Atletico Madrid (Wijnaldum 43)
Gini Wijnaldum does it again!
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42 min Oxlade-Chamberlain curls well wide from long range. It was the wrong option, poorly executed. But apart from that...
41 min Robertson and especially Alexander-Arnold have been a constant threat, arguably Liverpool’s best attackers. Alexander-Arnold hits Felix with a fair, man-and-ball tackle and then shouts in his face. This match is one false move away from a brawl.
40 min Felipe and Savic make two brilliant defensive headers in the space of 30 seconds. Atletico could really use the half-time whistle.
39 min “Can we gush about Thomas in that Atleti midfield?” says Ruth Purdue. “What a superb box to box midfielder he is!”
I think he’s brilliant. He’s been doing gruntwork tonight but there’s so much more to his game. I read somewhere that his release clause is really low, something like 50m euros. I would love him at United.
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38 min Atletico appeal unsuccessfully for a yellow card when Henderson fouls Correa. It’s getting very niggly. Just before that, there was a slight shoving match on the line before a Liverpool corner was taken.
36 min: Good save from Oblak! Liverpool are starting to put Atletico under pressure. Alexander-Arnold’s wicked, bouncing cross from the right is missed by the stretching Firmino at the near post and palmed away by Oblak. He did really well because he had to change direction when Firmino didn’t get the expected touch.
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34 min Salah shoves Lodi off the ball on the right, scurries infield and flicks a pass with the outside of the foot to the unmarked Mane in the D. His low first-time shot is straight at Oblak, who spills it but is able to grab it at the second attempt. Mane’s shot lacked power and accuracy; he probably had time for an extra touch.
33 min “Evening Rob,” says Matt Turland. “Is there a team more love/hate than Atletico under Simeone? And by that, I mean, I love watching them for the wonderful way they defend as one, as a single entity. And yet, at the same time, I hate them for all their sh*thousing and all that jazz. Love. Hate.”
32 min A cross from the left is headed behind by van Dijk. This has been a crap game, in terms of conventional entertainment, but it’s thoroughly compelling.
30 min Liverpool are starting to get a bit frustrated with Atletico’s experience. Henderson goes through the back of Felix, a silly tackle that allows Atletico to waste another 20 or 30 seconds.
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There’s been a goal in Paris...
28 min A few of you have asked about the handball appeal in the 20th minute. The updated law says that extra leeway will be given to defenders when the ball ricochets onto the hand, which is exactly what happened. It’s different if you’re the attacking team. Had an identical incident led to a goal, it would have been disallowed.
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26 min A corner is headed away to Oxlade-Chamberlain on the right. His very deep cross is nodded back across goal by van Dijk, and Costa does well to smuggle the ball behind for another corner.
25 min Liverpool have so far been unable to put Atletico under sustained pressure - partly because of the excellence of the defending, partly because of the stop-start nature of the game. I still think Liverpool will be too good, but it could be a long night.
24 min “Evening Rob,” says Matt Emerson. “I know you say the Diego Costa looks old, but I suspect he’s always been like that. There’s probably photos of him as a particularly grizzled baby looking like Clyde out of the Anthill Mob (one for the teenagers, that).”
22 min There’s a bit of needle when Alexander-Arnold is penalised for a high challenge. Then Diego Costa throws the ball away and escapes a booking. The snideometer has been switched on in the last few minutes.
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20 min A couple of corners in quick succession for Liverpool. The second is headed towards goal by Mane and hits an Atletico player, prompting an unsuccessful appeal for handball. It did hit the hand but only after a deflection off Lodi’s head.
19 min Atletico will be pretty happy so far. Although Liverpool have dominated, Oblak has only had one vaguely difficult save to make.
18 min Atletico win a corner on the left. Koke wanders over at his leisure to take it. Eventually he curls it flat and hard towards the near post, where Felipe flashes a header just wide. That could easily have gone past Adrian and into the net.
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17 min Atletico are defending so deep, with the front two of Joao Felix and Diego Costa often only 30 yards from their own goal.
15 min “Hi Rob,” says Peter Oh. “Re: 10 min. I’m somewhat disappointed that Diego Costa hasn’t been sent off yet but I do feel some empathy for his...oldness. Ok, I’m done with empathy now. Attack!!!”
14 min Oxlade-Chamberlain’s fierce low drive, through a crowded area, is palmed away by the diving Oblak. He got a bit lucky, Oblak, as he could easily have pushed it straight to a Liverpool player.
11 min A cross is headed out to Henderson, whose mishit shot from 25 yards goes well wide. It hasn’t quite been the ferocious start I expected from Liverpool, although they only need one goal to level the tie.
10 min Salah curls over the bar from the edge of the area. It was a typical effort: he received the ball from Mane, cut inside Saul Niguez and tried to curl it into the far top corner.
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10 min Joao Felix looks really bright whenever Atletico do have the ball. Diego Costa looks ... old.
9 min After a short free-kick, Partey drives a long, angled pass over the Liverpool defence. Trippier gets round the back but has to stretch to reach the ball and his attempted volley across goal goes into the side netting. Adrian had it covered.
6 min Atletico are taking plenty of time over any throw-ins, a tactic that is booed every time by the Liverpool fans. The atmosphere is marvellously hostile.
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5 min The first half-chance for Liverpool. Alexander-Arnold’s cross, from a narrow position on the right, is flicked towards goal by the head of Wijnaldum. Oblak moves smartly across his line to make a comfortable save.
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4 min Lots of early posssession for Liverpool, the first 13 seconds aside. Atletico always knew it was going to be like this.
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2 min “‘Quite annoying’,” says Matt Dony. “Yes, Jürgen. If there’s one phrase that sums up playing a Diego Simeone team, especially one with a lead to defend, it’s ‘quite annoying’. Don’t get me wrong, I love Simeone, but I’m not expecting this match to be anything other than quite annoying. And, obviously, by ‘quite annoying’, we all mean ‘absolutely flipping infuriating, frustrating and maddening’!”
13 seconds: Costa hits the side netting! That was half a chance. He ran onto a nice through pass from Joao Felix, rumbled to the edge of the area and hit a low shot that Adrian ushered into the side netting. He was under pressure from Gomez (I think); otherwise it would have been a clear chance.
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1 min Atletico, in black, are booed as they kick off from left to right. Liverpool are in red.
The players emerge from the tunnel on a wild night at Anfield. It’s wet, windy and bloody loud. Adrian looks a little pensive; this is a huge night for him.
If you loved Italia 90, you’ll really love this
Here it is. Our preview episode for Vincerà! - The story of Italia '90 podcast. Join host .@thatmarkgodfrey @simon22ph and @PeteDavies2006 to talk about the 1990 World Cup, their respective books and, of course, the 24-part series.https://t.co/B7SfuQi3xE
— Vincerà! The story of Italia '90 podcast (@Vincera90) March 6, 2020
Jurgen Klopp speaks “It’s a complex thing tonight. We need a complete performance. We know Atletico can be quite annoying, we can be annoying as well in a different way, so it’s a good fit for Diego Costa. We have to keep calm and play our football.”
Pre-match entertainment
Train Guy...Orange Polo Neck pic.twitter.com/gINdbgcY7v
— bob mortimer (@RealBobMortimer) March 11, 2020
“Fabinho had looked a little off his feed and strangely tentative on it following his return from injury,” says Ian Copestake. “Chambo definitely deserves his start after his last game. He’s also the only one who can score from outside a box otherwise brimful with Madridistas.”
The tempo in the first 20 minutes is going to be quite something.
Liverpool are aiming to win the European Cup for the seventh time, and to retain it for the first time since 1978. I’m not sure that will be possible, mind you: it looks increasingly likely that the coronavirus will stop the 2019-20 season from being completed.
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Pre-match reading
Tonight’s other Champions League match is a cracker, and Paul Doyle is all over it.
Team news
There’s one slight surprise in the Liverpool team, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain preferred to Fabinho. Atletico’s starting XI includes Kieran Trippier and the popular, equable Diego Costa. Popcorn, please!
Liverpool (4-3-3) Adrian; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, van Dijk, Robertson; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Henderson, Wijnaldum; Salah, Firmino, Mane.
Substitutes: Lonergan, Fabinho, Milner, Minamino, Lallana, Origi, Matip.
Atletico Madrid (4-4-2) Oblak; Trippier, Savic, Felipe, Renan Lodi; Koke, Saul Niguez, Thomas, Correa; Diego Costa, Joao Felix.
Substitutes: Adan, Gimenez, Morata, Lemar, Llorente, Carrasco, Vrsaljko.
Referee Danny Makkelie (Netherlands).
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The pyrotechnics have begun in the streets around Anfield …
But Simeone is in the building …
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Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Liverpool’s attack versus Atletico Madrid’s defence. That, all things being equal, is how tonight’s match will pan out. Atletico won the first leg 1-0, the ideal score to set up a night of tension, drama and one-way traffic at Anfield.
Liverpool are the best team in Europe but Atletico are probably the best party-poopers in Europe. They will have not a solitary qualm about defending deep, wasting time, playing on the break and bantering Liverpool off for 90 minutes with you-know-what. If Atletico score one goal, Liverpool will need to get three against an accomplished and extremely experienced (sic) defence.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have had a recent blip – some people even used the word ‘crisis’, apparently with a straight face – but they have Jordan Henderson back to raise the intensity. They have never lost a two-legged European tie under Jurgen Klopp, and whatever happens they won’t go quietly.
Nor will Atletico. They live for chances like this, to stick one up the elite in a Champions League knockout tie. They did it to Barcelona and Chelsea in 2013-14, and to Barcelona and Bayern Munich two years later. That last victory, over Pep Guardiola’s Bayern, is their template for tonight.
Liverpool have plenty of templates to consult. From Juventus in 1965-66 to Barcelona in 2018-19, via Saint-Etienne, Auxerre and Borussia Dortmund, this club loves a second-leg Anfield comeback.
Kick off is at 8pm GMT.
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