Liverpool axed out of the UEFA Champions League
Liverpool were overturned right in front of their home fans last night by the Atletico Madrid in the Europa League round of 16 second leg. Atletico did well to hold on to their first leg win over the English top side. Liverpool registered their first lost at home this season and the first in 16 UEFA Champions League games.
Liverpool were looking to lift the UEFA Champions League trophy for the seventh but had their hope dashed as Diego Simeone troops spoilt the party for them. The Reds went ahead to level goals on aggregate in the first half of the game when Georginio Wijnaldum gave the opener in the 43rd minute of the game.
The game had to be pushed to extra after 90 minutes of games with Liverpool leading 1-0 and 1-1 on aggregate. The seems to be in favor of the home team when Roberto Firmino jabbed in a defended headed into the net in the 94th minutes of the game. The visitors did well to respond just almost immediately with substitute Llorente opening the scoring for them three minutes after the Fermino’s goal.
Things became worst for Liverpool as he netted his brace in the last minute of the first half of the extra time to equal the scores and put them in front on aggregate. Former Real Madrid and Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata sealed the victory in the injury time of the extra time to send Atletico to the quarter-finals.
Atletico deserve the win with their number one man Oblak doing all the saves in the game, the goal keeper made over nine save in the game. He is no doubt the man of the match in last night’s clash, before the match Diego Simeone in a pre-match interview said: “Liverpool they’re like Goliath but when you stop them from crossing the ball they have nothing.
They keep shouting Anfield Anfied like their fans are Gladiators but they’re humans: they don’t know what is coming.” In the end Liverpool’s hopes of defending their title was ended by a 3-2 loss at Anfield on Wednesday, with Atletico winning 4-2 on aggregate. Jurgen Klopp who has led Liverpool to two champions League finals has said Diego Simeone’s Atletico do not play “proper football”.
“I am completely happy with the performance. It’s so difficult to play a side like this.” He said he was actually searching for the right words to use and described the Argentine man. “I don’t understand with the quality they have the football they play. They could play proper football but they stand deep and have counter-attacks.”
“We accept it, of course, but it doesn’t feel right tonight. I realize I am a really bad loser, especially when the boys put such an effort in against world-class players on the other side who defend with two rows of four. “We know in the past two years we had some lucky moments in the Champions League – you have to reach two finals but today everything was against us in the decisive moments.”
Liverpool have experienced all sort of challenges in their last six games, they have lost four out their last games although they still remain 25 points clear at the top of the Premier League. Jordan Henderson who is the captain of the team said the result was a bad one and a disappointing one too but they will use it to end the season strongly.
“We put everything into that game so we are bitterly disappointed, especially with the goals we conceded” he captain added. The 29-year-old England midfielder also said “all we can focus on is our performance level, and to have conceded those goals isn’t like us. We’re disappointed but we’ll take it on the chin. “For the rest of today and tomorrow it won’t feel nice, but we have to use it to help us finish the season strong.”