Liverpool 2-3 Atletico Madrid: A lack of clinical hunger ruined Reds
A lack of clinical hunger ruined Liverpool as they fell to a 3-2 Anfield defeat to Atletico Madrid and crashed out of the Champions League.
No one can say that Liverpool didn’t have their chances in front of 58,000 home fans: 35 shots taken, 16 shots on target, yielding two goals in 120 minutes. The Reds won 16 corners but couldn’t find the net from any of those set pieces.
Atlético took 12 shots had six on target and produced three away goals. A 50% rate is hard to overcome. Adrian will certainly take the blame for the first and probably the second. The third was at the end of the extra time period and the game already done and dusted.
Roberto Firmino finally found the net at home this season in the extra time period, but the Reds failed to defend against the counter after that, giving up two scores in quick succession effectively putting the tie beyond their reach.
Jürgen Klopp lost his first knockout tie in European competition since coming to Liverpool. It is also the first time one of the front three of Sadio Mané, Roberto Firmino, or Mohamed Salah failed to score in regulation time in a knockout round.
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Aside from the keeper error, and poor defending leading to two 25 yards shots by Marcos Llorente that found the net as the first half of extra time wore down. The lack of hunger in clinical finishing by the front three, against a stubborn well drilled Atletico defense, was ultimately the difference in the tie.
In the final two seasons ago in Kiev, the Reds outplayed Real Madrid, but lost on the scoreboard due to two huge keeper howlers. Again here at Anfield, Klopp’s squad out played and out footballed Diego Simeone’s side until the Firmino goal in the fifth minute of the extra time period. But this one hurts worse than that final lose in Kiev.
Normally mentality monsters when managing games late on this season, the lads shipped three goals in the extra time period. Atlético had three shots on goal in this extra time and made all three.
Simeone and Atlético nicked a page from Liverpool’s playbook by not giving up and pressing on after going down 2–1 on aggregate with 25 minutes left to play. They deserve credit for a hard fought win on the road.
Klopp and Liverpool will surely learn from this uncharacteristic defeat from the jaws of victory and regroup to go again come September.
This loss will sting for a bit and will give the lads something to think about over the summer break. Perhaps this will make them hungry again like that final lose to Madrid in Kiev.
Next. Liverpool 2-3 Atletico Madrid player ratings - the Ox superb, Adrian gets a 1. dark
The Reds still have a bit of business to take care of in bringing home the Premier League title with an away derby at Goodison Park and Everton come Monday.