REDS’ REIGN IS ALL OVER
Stand-in keeper blunders as Llorente fires a double to help Atletico through
And suddenly, all was chaos. diego Simeone was sprinting towards Atletico Madrid’s fans, while goalkeeper Jan Oblak ran full pelt in the opposite direction, the length of the pitch to join his celebrating team-mates.
Marcos Llorente, an extra-time substitute, had scored again. Atletico Madrid were going through. Liverpool, Europe’s champions, were going out. There would be no triumphant return to Istanbul in May.
Liverpool are this country’s most successful club in European competition, so they should at least appreciate what befell them here; an old-fashioned away goal smash and grab. They thought they had the tie won when, in extra time, Roberto Firmino scored his first Anfield goal since April 9, 2019, against Porto. He headed a Georginio Wijnaldum cross against a post, then was first to the rebound to volley home.
Liverpool led 2-1 on aggregate and the stadium was delirious.
And then the baddies bit back. Atletico, Europe’s ultimate spoilers, stole the night and silenced a crowd that prides itself on its decibel level. It only takes one mistake at this level, and stand-in goalkeeper Adrian made it. He kicked a clearance straight to Atletico’s most dangerous player, Joao Felix, who played in Llorente. His shot found Adrian out, the goalkeeper struggling to recover and beaten.
Still, Liverpool only needed to score one more; and then the roof fell in. Liverpool were desperately seeking the winner, so much so that when Atletico countered the resistance was cursory. Liverpool reckoned without Llorente. He ripped past Jordan Henderson and struck a shot across Adrian.
now Liverpool needed another two. They were never likely to get them and Alvaro Morata’s lastminute strike added to the pain.
There is a reason so many films get made about the Joker, or that Iago is Shakespeare’s most compelling and complex character, despite not having a play named after him. Everyone is fascinated by a great villain.
And Atletico Madrid are great villains. Practitioners of the dark arts but with a brain, too — like all the best bad guys.
It is almost a pleasure to watch them sometimes, so brazen is their knavery. diego Costa getting a decision against him, pausing as if to give the ball back to Adrian, sucking Liverpool’s goalkeeper into coming near him and then throwing it to take, what, five seconds out of the game.
You don’t see that stuff so much these days. nor the pantomime that played out when referee danny Makkelie went over to remonstrate. Suddenly, Costa was all apologetic, injured innocence.
We all saw his shtick at Chelsea and it hasn’t changed — but, under the auspices of Simeone, it has taken on greater depth.
Jurgen Klopp went for the post-corona elbow bump with Simeone before the match, and one almost expected him to fall to the floor clutching his face in an attempt to get Liverpool’s manager sent off.
Thankfully, referee Makkelie was a Mark Clattenburg-type with a healthy level of scepticism.
Clattenburg had one of his finest games in charge of a Champions League semi-final between Atletico and Bayern Munich — neither the referee’s friend — and Makkelie had to be similarly resilient here. When Trent Alexander-Arnold committed a foul just outside Madrid’s penalty area, five black shirts plus Oblak surrounded him.
Later, when Henderson looked to have fouled Angel Correa, there were five shirts on Makkelie’s case again.
If every team played like this, it would be tiresome, but Atletico Madrid are uniquely Machiavellian in an era when the best coaches wish to impress and be liked for the beauty of their football.
There is room for one touchline Voldemort, one Prince of darkness. And just when the audience grows weary, Simeone’s team prove they can play, too.
This was a rearguard action, 11 men packed into a depth of 30 yards when Liverpool attacked. Yet, on the counter and from setpieces, Madrid are dangerous and could have scored twice before half-time with better finishing.
The first chance came almost too soon. From the kick-off, Costa was put through and seemed startled, snatching at a tame shot that flew low into the side netting.
Then, after 18 minutes, when Virgil van dijk gave away a corner, undone by hesitation from Adrian, Felipe missed a good headed opportunity at the near post.
That aside, it was — as expected — all Liverpool. They pressed, they pressured, they matched Atletico stride for stride, which takes some doing. Alexander-Arnold was, as ever, the architect of so much. It was his cross after five minutes that gave Wijnaldum his first chance, a header plucked from the air by Oblak.
Sadio Mane played in Mohamed Salah who shot over after 10 minutes, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlian forced an excellent save from Oblak four minutes later.
Salah’s square pass for Mane was gathered by Oblak at the second attempt — a rare aberration — before he returned to form to repel another cross from Alexander-Arnold, under the nose of Firmino.
And then, a minute before halftime, the breakthrough. It was a lovely, fluid Liverpool move, Andy Robertson, Van dijk, Salah and Alexander-Arnold all involved, before Oxlade-Chamberlain whipped the ball on to Wijnaldum’s head. He steered it home perfectly.
The second half became Oblak’s one-man show. Saves from Oxlade-Chamberlain, Firmino and Alexander-Arnold kept Atletico Madrid in the game. And when
Oblak could not come to the rescue, the apparatus did, Robertson hitting the bar with a header.
At the other end, Adrian made his first real save of the night from Felix, though it was not convincing and he needed to recover to stop Corres gobbling up the rebound.
Then Atletico thought they had won the game with the last touch of the 90 minutes, but Saul niguez was well offside for his header.
LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Adrian 5; Alexander-Arnold 7, Gomez 7, van Dijk 7, Robertson 8; Oxlade-Chamberlain 9 (Milner 82), Henderson 6 (Fabinho 106), Wijnaldum 8 (Origi 106); Salah 6, Firmino 7 (Minamino 113), Mane 6. Subs not used: Lallana, Lonergan, Matip. Booked: Alexander-Arnold. ATLETICO MADRID (4-4-2): Oblak 9; Trippier 6 (Vrsaljko 91), Savic 7, Felipe 7, Renan Lodi 6; Correa 7 (Gimenez 106), Koke 7, Thomas 6, Saul 6; Costa 6 (Llorente 56), Joao Felix 7 (Morata 103). Subs not used: Adan, Lemar, Carrasco. Booked: Morata, Saul. Man of the match: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Referee: Danny Makkelie (Ned). Att: 52,267.