Liverpool suffer a 1-0 defeat against Spanish side Atletico Madrid
RECAP
Liverpool started off slow in their knock-out stage opener, allowing an early goal to Atletico’s Saul Niguez off of a corner kick. Liverpool was unable to clear the corner kick away on the first ball in, and an unfortunate bounce off of Fabinho sent the ball across the six-yard box where Niguez was waiting for the finish in the fourth minute.
Despite having the lion’s share of possession in the first half, Liverpool did not have a clear chance on goal until the 35th minute. Roberto Firmino collected a loose ball in the Atletico 18-yard box and found Mohammed Salah waiting near the penalty kick spot. However, Salah’s one-time shot glanced off of an Atletico defender and over the crossbar.
Atletico played a sturdy brand of soccer but seemed to lure Liverpool players into challenges all game, ultimately resulting in Sadio Mane’s yellow card in the 40th minute. He would be subbed off at halftime in favor of Divock Origi.
Liverpool looked more lively in the second half, however, and had a half-chance to score in the 52nd minute when Salah’s glancing header landed just outside of the Atletico far post. Liverpool almost struck again in the 73rd minute after some tidy passing in the Atletico 18 led to a Jordan Henderson volley which again sailed wide of the Atletico goal.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was booked in the 87th minute after arguing a call with the fourth official on the sideline.
Following the match, Klopp noted that his counterpart, Diego Simeone, was quite involved with the Atletico crowd during the match, but he didn’t feel as though he would need to do the same for the return fixture at Anfield, because Liverpool’s crowd would do the job for him.
OPINION
It was an unlucky night for Liverpool all around. Here are my biggest takeaways from the match:
Atletico’s goal was NOT a sign of bigger problems for Liverpool
Yes, Atletico scored early. Yes, the defending was poor on the corner kick. But Liverpool still has one of the best overall back lines in the world on any given night. Centerbacks Virgil Van Dijk and Joe Gomez have rarely met challenges they didn’t like and didn’t win, and they can pass out of just about any trouble that they find themselves in. The wide defenders, Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, are just as good at defending as they are at whipping in crosses to the opposing 18. The backline is fine.
Diego Simeone had some tricks up his sleeve
The picture everyone has been talking about was Atletico’s setup on their corner kick which led to their goal. Atletico had a “safety net” of players just outside of Liverpool’s 18-yard box designed to prevent a counter attack. Liverpool often bust out of those set pieces and blaze a path down the pitch to create a chance on the opposing goal, but Simeone’s system seemed to stymie that rhythm a little bit. Look for Klopp to have a plan ready to beat that trap.
Yellow Cards are important
Entering the match, Liverpool only had one player, Andy Robertson, sitting on a yellow. However, he was able to defend for a full 90 minutes without picking up another, and will subsequently be able to play in the second leg at Anfield. Although he has a little bit of a temper at times, I do not think the coaching staff will be worried about him. However, they should be worried about Sadio Mane. Mane picked up a yellow in the first half and then was subbed off for fear of picking up a red card. He has a knack for getting underneath his defenders’ skin, but that often comes with a costly challenge now and again. If Atletico decide they want to go down easy on Mane’s challenges again, he will probably pick up another one.
Not to blame the referee, but he was pretty bad
I’m not saying the head official had it out for Liverpool, but he had it out for Liverpool. Many times the consistency was lacking and it seemed as if Atletico was getting away with fouls that Liverpool players were getting called for. Not to mention the number of times Atletico players got away with tactical fouls that stopped Liverpool’s attack in its tracks. Liverpool Twitter will back me up on this one, trust me. I’ll just say it: I hope a better officiating crew is assigned to the second leg.
Liverpool NEED to finish their chances
If Liverpool fans had anything to complain about from this team, which we really do not, it would be the consistency in finishing. I know this sounds like a joke because we are talking about arguably the best attacking team in the world, but sometimes the front line finds a way to squander good chances in favor of scoring on absolutely broken plays. I’m not sure what that is all about, but for the sake of my sanity, I hope that changes.
Klopp has not lost a knock-out round while at Liverpool
Liverpool have been to two UCL Finals in a row, and are looking to make a third. Klopp has had an unbelievable track record in the knock-out rounds, so I am again knocking on wood to avoid jinxing this whole thing. But if the Reds could find a way to beat Barcelona at home after being down 3-0 and without Roberto Firmino and Salah, they should be able to find a win at home against Atletico. I think.
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