KLOPP ENJOYS A TOP EVENING
Dead easy for Reds as they make light work of tough group to cruise through
niggling with wing-back Mario Hermoso in the book as early as the eighth minute after a trip on Mo Salah. Luis Suarez and Koke followed him before the break.
With Atletico down to 10 men, goalkeeper Jan Oblak was called on twice within a minute before the break to make smart saves from Salah and Jota and a 2-0 lead was the least Liverpool deserved for their dominance. Atletico offered little in attack even before the sending off with Liverpool visibly reassured by Fabinho’s return in midfield.
Mane was also yellow carded for an angry barge on Angel Correa after the Liverpool striker felt he had been fouled and Klopp chose to replace him at the interval with Roberto Firmino.
Jota had the ball in the Atletico net again three minutes after the break after a lovely pass by Fabinho but it was ruled out after a check for offside. Joel Matip then missed a sitter after chaos at a corner then Jota did likewise with a header after a surging run from left-back Kostas Tsimikas.
It looked momentarily as if Liverpool’s profligacy might come back to bite them when Suarez’s deflected shot found its way past Alisson but the goal was chalked off for offside.
It was a case of have what you hold for Liverpool in the closing stages and they did with the only blot the loss of Firmino with a leg injury with 15 minutes left.