Champions League - Round of 16 - 2nd Leg
LiverpoolLiverpool2Atl MadridAtlético Madrid3

Liverpool 2-3 Atletico Madrid (2-4 agg): Holders out of Champions League

By Phil McNultyChief football writer at Anfield
I'm an 'under-average' loser - Klopp on Atletico defeat

Holders Liverpool were knocked out of the Champions League with a dramatic extra-time defeat by Atletico Madrid in the last 16.

A finely balanced second leg turned on a catastrophic blunder by goalkeeper Adrian.

Jurgen Klopp's side - seeking to win the trophy for a seventh time - thought they had overturned Atletico's 1-0 advantage from the first leg when Roberto Firmino's first goal at Anfield this season at the start of the added 30 minutes gave them the lead in the tie.

Georginio Wijnaldum's first-half header was full reward for Liverpool laying siege to the Atletico goal for much of the first 90 minutes.

In the second half, Andrew Robertson was then inches away from a winner only for his header to crash against the woodwork.

And yet, as the Kop sensed another memorable Champions League victory, Adrian - deputising for the injured Alisson - paid the price for a dreadful clearance as substitute Marcos Llorente pounced with a low finish to secure Atletico's crucial away goal.

Llorente struck again with another composed finish in the 105th minute and with the spirit draining out of Liverpool and their supporters, former Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata adding insult to injury with a third in the dying seconds to send Atletico through to the last eight.

Alisson's absence proves decisive

This game was, in many respects, a tale of two goalkeepers.

The magnificent Jan Oblak formed a formidable barrier for Atletico Madrid, his yellow shirt a colossal presence in his penalty area as he made nine saves and claimed countless crosses.

In contrast, Liverpool's mammoth effort was fatally undermined by the hapless Adrian, who also made an error that contributed to their FA Cup fifth-round defeat by Chelsea.

The Reds had finally established a measure of control through Firmino's goal, but once Adrian had hacked out a hopeless clearance and Llorente's shot beyond him into the net at the Kop end, Atletico were ruthless.

Klopp looked and sounded suitably downcast last week when he announced his world-class Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson had suffered a hip injury, knowing he could make the difference to a Champions League tie that was always going to be decided on the finest of margins.

And so it proved, Liverpool's morale and fighting spirit disappearing visibly after Adrian's mistake.

Liverpool will still complete the formalities of their first Premier League title but they pride themselves on their status as European champions and this was a painful night.

Atletico deserve huge credit

Atletico Madrid arrived at Anfield with the usual reminders of how the stadium's atmosphere has broken the nerve and resilience of even the elite teams in the Champions League - as Barcelona found out in last season's semi-finals.

Diego Simeone and his players are made of sterner stuff than that. They may have been under pressure for much of this game but not once did they buckle as they faced up to Liverpool's intensity and came out on top.

Atletico simply love defending, each goal conceded almost a personal insult to Simeone - who seemed to relish Anfield's atmosphere - and his players.

After Llorente scored Atletico's second, even Liverpool looked like a side who knew there was no way they would score two goals in such limited time to progress.

The La Liga side's approach may not be a thing of beauty but they are a brilliantly drilled team and this was another landmark triumph for the master coach Simeone.

Man of the match - Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid)

Jan Oblak
Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak made nine saves against Liverpool

Match stats

  • This was the first time Liverpool have failed to progress from a two-legged tie in European competition under Klopp, having won the previous 10.
  • Liverpool have lost a home European game for the first time under Klopp, with this their first defeat at Anfield in Europe since October 2014.
  • The Reds have fallen in the last 16 of the Champions League for the first time since 2006.
  • Atletico Madrid have progressed from five of their previous six Champions League knockout ties after winning the first leg, only failing in last season's last 16 against Juventus (2-0 first leg, 0-3 second leg).
  • Liverpool have lost both legs of a Champions League knockout tie for the first time since the last-16 stage in 2005-06 against Benfica.
  • This was the first match in the competition to see four goals scored in extra time.
  • Llorente is only the second Atletico player to score twice as a substitute in a Champions League game after Sergio Aguero against Chelsea in November 2009.
  • Firmino scored his first goal at Anfield in 20 games, last netting v Porto in April 2019 - 337 days ago.
  • Four of Wijnaldum's five goals in the Champions League for Liverpool have come in the knockout rounds.
  • Liverpool's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been directly involved in four goals in the Champions League this season (three goals, one assist) - his joint-best tally alongside 2014-15 when he was at Arsenal.

Line-ups

Liverpool

Formation 4-3-3

  • 13Adrián
  • 66Alexander-ArnoldBooked at 119mins
  • 12Gomez
  • 4van Dijk
  • 26Robertson
  • 15Oxlade-ChamberlainSubstituted forMilnerat 82'minutes
  • 14HendersonSubstituted forFabinhoat 105'minutes
  • 5WijnaldumSubstituted forOrigiat 105'minutes
  • 11Salah
  • 9FirminoSubstituted forMinaminoat 113'minutes
  • 10Mané

Substitutes

  • 3Fabinho
  • 7Milner
  • 18Minamino
  • 20Lallana
  • 22Lonergan
  • 27Origi
  • 32Matip

Atl Madrid

Formation 4-4-2

  • 13Oblak
  • 23TrippierSubstituted forVrsaljkoat 90'minutes
  • 15Savic
  • 18Felipe
  • 12Lodi
  • 10CorreaSubstituted forGiménezat 105'minutes
  • 6Koke
  • 5Partey
  • 8SaúlBooked at 120mins
  • 19Diego CostaSubstituted forLlorenteat 56'minutes
  • 7João FélixSubstituted forMorataat 103'minutesBooked at 119mins

Substitutes

  • 1Adán
  • 2Giménez
  • 9Morata
  • 11Lemar
  • 14Llorente
  • 21Carrasco
  • 24Vrsaljko
Referee:
Danny Makkelie
Attendance:
52,267

Match Stats

Home TeamLiverpoolAway TeamAtl Madrid
Possession
Home71%
Away29%
Shots
Home34
Away10
Shots on Target
Home11
Away6
Corners
Home16
Away3
Fouls
Home17
Away17

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Liverpool 2, Atlético de Madrid 3.

  2. Post update

    Second Half Extra Time ends, Liverpool 2, Atlético de Madrid 3.

  3. Goal!

    Goal! Liverpool 2, Atlético de Madrid 3. Álvaro Morata (Atlético de Madrid) left footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Marcos Llorente with a through ball following a fast break.

  4. Booking

    Saúl Ñíguez (Atlético de Madrid) is shown the yellow card.

  5. Post update

    Sadio Mané (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  6. Post update

    Foul by Thomas Partey (Atlético de Madrid).

  7. Booking

    Álvaro Morata (Atlético de Madrid) is shown the yellow card.

  8. Booking

    Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool) is shown the yellow card.

  9. Post update

    Foul by Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool).

  10. Post update

    Álvaro Morata (Atlético de Madrid) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  11. Post update

    Corner, Atlético de Madrid. Conceded by Takumi Minamino.

  12. Post update

    Foul by James Milner (Liverpool).

  13. Post update

    Jan Oblak (Atlético de Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  14. Post update

    Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Sime Vrsaljko.

  15. Post update

    Attempt missed. Sadio Mané (Liverpool) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.

  16. Post update

    Foul by Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool).

  17. Post update

    Felipe (Atlético de Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  18. Substitution

    Substitution, Liverpool. Takumi Minamino replaces Roberto Firmino.

  19. Post update

    Foul by Joseph Gomez (Liverpool).

  20. Post update

    Álvaro Morata (Atlético de Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

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