CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ONLY THIS CUP CAN DELIVER SUCH CRUEL ENDINGS
There is evidence from recent past that the margins can be desperately thin, even when you wear the world champions’ badge on your shirt and are the reigning elite of europe’s elite.
When Liverpool needed victory here to progress in europe against Napoli, 15 months ago, it required a feat of genius from their goalkeeper Alisson at the death.
This time they were served up something entirely different and devastating from the Brazilian’s understudy Adrian — a calamitous clearance which was the beginning of the end for them — though a broader significance will materialise when the dust settles.
Atletico Madrid have taught us that defending, an art which had gone out of fashion, can actually be a winning commodity and, in a sense, a beautiful thing.
For emblems of why Diego Simeone’s side inflicted a first defeat on Liverpool here in 18 months, consider substitute Joe Gimenez’s tackle on Sadio Mane in the dying minutes of extra time. The tie belonged to the Spaniards by then but the principles remained the same.
The central defenders Stefan Savic and Felipe were monumental in the air in the first leg which set up this win. Savic was equally indomitable here, utterly unrecognisable from the individual who looked so unconvincing at Manchester City, who shifted him on eight years ago.
renan Lodi, who surprised many by his performance against Jurgen Klopp’s side in Spain, winning a battle against Trent Alexander-Arnold, did the same again and Liverpool were deprived of any of the width they always seek. Alexander-Arnold could not get in sight of the Madrid goal and his excursions towards the byline were terribly limited. Andy robertson had only marginally more success.
When Liverpool engineered the Miracle of Anfield last season, Barcelona coming to Merseyside with a 3-0 lead and leaving as 4-0 losers, Klopp’s side were aided by the Spaniards’ decision that Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez would not drop back. One of the UeFA observers wrote in his post-match analysis: ‘You have to defend with 11 players.’ Atletico did so and though Liverpool scored twice, this was a far tougher challenge than against Barca.
There were performances of merit by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Gigi Wijnaldum, the first goalscorer, though the individual who quietly provided most — and looked the most devastated last night — was Jordan henderson, the returning captain.
henderson appeals to Klopp because he conforms so completely to the work ethic and if ever there were a night for his proletarian dependability at the heartbeat of the team, then this was it. Faced with the most treacherous balancing act — the need to forge ahead and create while keeping the door closed at the back — Klopp assigned henderson optimal responsibility.
When Fabinho arrived at Anfield in the summer, henderson’s future was under threat. When the heat was on last night, Fabinho was dropped. Oxlade-Chamberlain’s selection left henderson alone to shield the defence.
The task required inestimable watchfulness in a player who had been missing since sustaining a hamstring injury in the first leg in Madrid. The possibility of being unpicked at any moment — the misplaced pass or unchecked run which would be the undoing of them — stalked Liverpool.
Simeone’s decision to field Diego Costa and the Portuguese prodigy Joao Felix, missing in Madrid, compounded the counterattacking threat so evident three weeks ago. Costa almost sprung the trap in the game’s first t minute.
henderson, the hinge of the team, was an unfailing sentry, tracking right and d left to cover. And d he was the one ne demanding possession, sesfor too; calling for it, signalling for it with palms out, lookingng for ways to spread and switch play and set his team off.
‘We need better switches, braver football in different moments, to play around the formation, behind the formation, play through the gagaps,’ Klopp had ssaid on the eve of tthis examination. henderson was the one who ssought to pick up tthe pace and ininject the necessary sarnecessary acceleration. he created, too, pickepicked up the pace early in thet teeming rain of the secondsecon half, his short pass locating Oxlade-Chamberlain who brought a sharp save from Jan Oblak. It was he who began the move, left-to-right, 20 yards out, which culminated in Salah delivering the