Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid LIVE: Champions League result, final score and reaction tonight
All the fallout from Anfield
Liverpool are through to the Champions League last-16 two games early, after securing a fourth group-stage victory on Wednesday night courtesy of a 2-0 win over Atletico Madrid.
Diogo Jota and Sadio Mane netted first-half goals for Jurgen Klopp’s side, while Diego Simeone’s men saw their attempts to get back into the game all but disappear after Felipe was shown a straight red card for a challenge on Mane. Both Jota and Luis Suarez saw goals ruled out for marginal offside calls at either end in the second half, while the Reds spurned several other opportunities to move even further clear on the scoreboard.
Ultimately it mattered little, with top spot now guaranteed for Liverpool even with two group matches still left to play, while Klopp was also boosted by the return of Fabinho and Thiago Alcantara after injury - but lost Roberto Firmino in the second half. Atletico, meanwhile, sit third in the group, a point behind Porto who they play in the final gameweek.
Liverpool 0 - 0 Atletico Madrid
6 mins: Trent Alexander-Arnold sends the ball up to Jordan Henderson who dinks it out wide to Mo Salah. Salah cuts back into the midfield and switches the play over towards Tsimikas on the left side. Tsimikas and Trippier both go for the aerial ball and clash heads with the Atletico right-back coming off worse. Tsimikas gets a warning from the referee but there wasn’t much else he could do there.
Liverpool 0 - 0 Atletico Madrid
3 mins: Kostas Tsimikas attempts to get forward on the left wing but Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain hits a wayward pass over to him and sends the ball straight out of play before waving an apologetic hand to acknowledge his mistake.
Kieran Trippier then receives the ball out wide on the right wing and knocks it into Koke waiting in the middle. He chips the ball out to Carrasco who finds Joao Felix in the box but the striker only manages to turn the ball into the safe hands of Alisson Becker.
Liverpool 0 - 0 Atletico Madrid
Kick off: Luis Suarez kicks off the match to a chorus of boos from the Liverpool fans. Atletico flick the ball out to Yannick Carrasco on the left wing and he squares an early ball into the box but Fabinho is back to defend and clear for Liverpool.
Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid
The other game in Group B, between Porto and AC Milan, finished 1-1 in the early kick off. It’s good news for Liverpool as that results means they only need to draw with Atletico Madrid tonight to guarantee qualification.
The teams make their way out onto the pitch, kick off is next.
Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid
The teams have completed the warm-ups at Anfield. This one is going to be a cracker. Remember Liverpool will go through to the knockout stages if they win tonight.
Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid
Atlético coach Diego Simeone never appeared at Anfield as a player in Uefa’s club competitions. Instead, he made Champions League trips to Manchester United for a 2-0 defeat with Internazionale (1998/99); to Chelsea for a 2-1 win with Lazio (1999/00); and then to Arsenal, again with Lazio, for a 2-0 loss (2000/01).
Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid have scored at least two goals in each of their last six games whilst Liverpool have done the same in each of their last 12.
If the Reds avoid defeat they will equal their record as a Football League club of 25 games unbeaten in all competitions, set between March and September 1982 under Bob Paisley.
They did go 30 unbeaten from February 1893 to February 1894, a sequence which included seven Lancashire League games.
Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid
Liverpool lead the way in Group B having won all three games, beating AC Milan 3-2 at home, Porto 5-1 away and Atletico 3-2 away.
Atleti are level with Porto on four points, winning 2-1 in Milan on Matchday Two after being held 0-0 at home by the Portuguese side.
This is only the second time that Liverpool have won their opening three Champions League group games, the first being last season. They have never won their first four group games in a row.
Player landmarks: Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid
There are a few Atletico Madrid players reaching milestones this evening with Luis Suárez making his70th Champions League appearance, Jose Maria Giménez his 40th and Kieran Trippier his 30th appearance in this competition.
Liverpool’s Mo Salah is set for a half-century too, with his next European appearance his 50th for the club. He will be the 24th player to reach that milestone at the Reds and the Egyptian could become the first player in Liverpool’s history to score twice in three successive European games.
On this day: Liverpool and Atletico
Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp was a happy man on this night a year ago: he watched Mo Salah and Sadio Mané score as his side won 5-0 at Atalanta in the Champions League group stage but Diogo Jota stole the show with a 38-minute hat-trick either side of half-time.
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