Atlético eliminate Liverpool from Champions League
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND (AP):
ATLETICO MADRID ended Liverpool’s title defence in the Champions League with a 3-2 win at Anfield yesterday, thanks to two goals by Marcos Llorente in extra time and another by fellow substitute Alvaro Morata.
Atlético advanced 4-2 on aggregate in the round of 16.
Roberto Firmino had just put Liverpool 2-0 ahead on the night – and 2-1 up on aggregate – with a 94th-minute goal when their backup goalkeeper, Adrian, made a poor clearance three minutes later that led to Llorente rolling in a finish.
That meant that Atlético were leading on the away-goals rule, but Llorente gave the Spanish team more breathing space with his second goal on the counterattack just before the end of the first extra-time period.
NO TURNAROUND
Liverpool couldn’t engineer another memorable Anfield turnaround and failed in their bid to reach a third straight final, having beaten Tottenham for their sixth European Cup title last year, after losing to Real Madrid the previous season.
Jurgen Klopp’s team will have to be content this season with winning the English league championship for the first time in 30 years. That could happen as early as next week, with the Reds holding a 25-point lead and needing just two more wins to clinch the title.
As for Atlético, another run in the Champions League is making up for a disappointing season in La Liga, where the team is in sixth place.
Llorente is in his first season at Atlético after a controversial move from fierce local rivals Real Madrid in the offseason last year. His father, Paco, and great uncle, Francisco Gento, are greats at Real. Morata is also a former Real player.