And suddenly, all was chaos. Diego Simeone was sprinting off towards Atletico Madrid’s joyous supporters, while goalkeeper Jan Oblak ran full pelt in the opposite direction, the length of the pitch to join his celebrating team-mates.
Marcos Llorente, an extra-time substitute, had scored: again. Atletico Madrid were going through. Liverpool, Europe’s champions, were going out. There would be no triumphant return to Istanbul in May.
Liverpool are this country’s most successful club in European competition so they should at least appreciate what befell them here; and old fashioned away goal smash and grab. They thought they had the tie won when, in extra time, Roberto Firmino scored his first Anfield goal since April 9, 2019, against Porto. He headed a Georginio Wijnaldum cross against a post, then was first to the rebound to volley it home. Liverpool led 2-1 on aggregate and the stadium was delirious. It had been a hard slog, but they had played well – 26 shots in normal time, a relentless assault.
Macros Llorente shifted the ball on the edge of the box to create some space before curling a brilliant effort past Adrian
Diego Simeone sprinted down the touchline after Atletico scored their second goal to complete the remarkable turnaround
The Atletico Madrid players and substitutes bundle on Llorente after his first goal in extra-time at the Kop end
The Atletico substitute curled into the corner after they were allowed a rare breakaway following a mistake from Adrian
Liverpool goalkeeper Adrian roared in frustration and looked up to the heavens after his terrible mistake cost his side
Alvaro Morata struck in the last minute of extra time to round off the astonishing comeback from Atletico
And then the baddies it back. Atletico Madrid, Europe’s ultimate spoilers, stole the night, the win – across two legs, this match was a draw – and silenced a crowd that prides itself on its decibel level. It only takes one mistake at this level, and stand-in goalkeepet Adrian made it. He kicked a clearance straight to Atletico’s most dangerous player, Joao Felix, who played in Llorente. His low shot found Adrian out, the goalkeeper struggling to recover and well beaten.
Still, Liverpool only needed to score one more; and then the roof fell in. Liverpool were desperately seeking the winner, so much so that when Atletico countered the resistance was cursory – almost as if they didn’t think the Spaniards would have anything more than the ambition to hold what they had. Liverpool reckoned without Llorente. He ripped past Jordan Henderson and struck a low shot across Adrian. Now Liverpool needed another two. They were never likely to get them. This was an away leg but it felt very much like home territory for Atletico by then.
There is a reason that so many films get made about The Joker, or that Iago is Shakespeare’s most compelling and complex character, despite not having a play named after him. Everyone is fascinated by a great villain. And Atletico Madrid are great villains. Practitioners of the dark arts but with a brain, too – like all the best bad guys.
It is almost a pleasure to watch them sometimes, so brazen is their knavery. Diego Costa getting a decision against him, pausing as if to give the ball back to Adrian, sucking Liverpool’s goalkeeper into coming near him and then throwing it to take, what, five seconds out of the game. You don’t see that stuff so much these days. Nor the little pantomime that played out when referee Danny Makkelie, from Holland and busier than a boy whose dyke had sprung more leaks than he had fingers, went over to remonstrate. Suddenly, Costa was the picture of apologetic, injured innocence. We all saw his shtick at Chelsea and it hasn’t changed – but under the auspices of Diego Simeone it has taken on greater depth. Jurgen Klopp went for the post-corona elbow bump with Simeone before the match, and one almost expected him to fall to the floor clutching his face in an attempt to get Liverpool’s manager dismissed.
Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum brilliantly placed his header into the corner to send Anfield into pandemonium
The Liverpool players sprinted over to celebrate with the midfielder after his goal brought them level in the last-16 tie
Saul Niguez heads in a dangerous free-kick into the box in the last minute of injury time but the goal is ruled out for offside
Atletico bench went up in raptures and ran on to the pitch to celebrate but their joy is short-lived as they realise it won’t count
Roberto Firmino tapped into an empty net in extra time after his header hit to post to put Liverpool ahead in the tie
The Brazilian missed several opportunities in the match but struck in extra time to score his first Anfield goal of the season
Thankfully, referee Makkelie was a Mark Clattenburg-type with a healthy level of scepticism. Clattenburg had one of his finest games in charge of a Champions League semi-final between Atletico and Bayern Munich – neither the referee’s friend – and Makkelie had to be similarly resilient here. When Trent Alexander-Arnold committed a foul just outside Madrid’s penalty area, five black shirts plus goalkeeper Jan Oblak surrounded him in an effort to get any censure an upgrade. Later when Jordan Henderson did look to have fouled Angel Correa, there were five shirts on Makkelie’s case again – Oblak uninvolved this time, but only because of distance.
If every team played like this it would be tiresome; but Atletico Madrid are uniquely Machiavellian in an era when the best coaches wish to impress and be liked for the beauty of their football. There is room for one touchline Voldemart, one Prince of Darkness. And just when the audience grows weary, Simeone’s team prove they can play, too. This was a rearguard action, no doubt of that, 11 men packed into a depth of 30 yards when Liverpool attacked. Yet on the counter and from set pieces Madrid are dangerous and could have scored twice before half-time with better finishing to cause Liverpool real problems.
The first chance came almost too soon, before the echo of the referee’s whistle to start the game had been consumed by the noise inside Anfield. From the kick-off, just 19 seconds gone, Costa was put through and seemed as startled by this development as anyone else, snatching at a tame shot that flew low into the side netting.
Then, after 18 minutes, when Virgil van Dijk gave away a corner, undone by hesitation from understudy goalkeeper Adrian, defender Felipe missed a good headed opportunity at the near post.
The bar saves Atletico Madrid as Andy Robertson’s partially blocked header hits to woodwork and bounces out to safety
Firmino has a glorious opportunity to double Liverpool’s advantage but somehow fluffs his lines from point-blank range
Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak makes a reaction save from close range to deny Roberto Firmino from scoring
Sadio Mane controls well and attempts the spectacular but can’t keep his effort down to trouble the Atletico Madrid goal
That aside, though, it was – as expected – all Liverpool. They pressed, they pressured, they matched Atletico stride for stride which takes some doing. Alexander-Arnold was, as ever, the architect of so much. It was his cross after five minutes that gave Georginio Wijnaldum his first chance, a header plucked nonchalantly from the air by Oblak, when so many contemporaries would have been a big drama out of punching or parrying.
Sadio Mane played in Mohamed Salah who shot over after ten minutes, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlian forced an excellent save from Oblak with a low shot four minutes later. Salah’s square pass Mane was gathered by Oblak at the second attempt – a rare aberration – before he returned to form to repel another cross from Alexander-Arnold, under the nose of Roberto Firmino.
And then, a minute before half-time, the breakthrough. It was a lovely, fluid Liverpool move, Andy Robertson, van Dijk, Salah and Alexander-Arnold all involved, before Oxlade-Chamberlain whipped the ball onto Wijnaldum’s head. He steered it home perfectly – and no wonder given he had been doing just that in the warm-up.
The second-half became Oblak’s one-man show. He may well be the best goalkeeper in the world right now. .Saves from Oxlade-Chamberlain, from Roberto Firmino, from Alexander-Arnold, kept Atletico Madrtid in the game. And when Oblak could not come to te rescue, the apparatus did, Andy Robertson hitting the bar with a header after Salah had a shot deflected. At the other end, Adrian made his first real save of the night from Joao Felix, although it wasn’t convincing and he needed to recover well to stop Corres gobbling up the extras. Atletico then thought they had won the game with the last touch of the match, but Saul Niguez was well offside for his header.
Oblak was there again to thwart Liverpool, this time saving with his chest to prevent Sadio Mane’s effort from going in
It’s a complete mismatch in the air as Virgil Van Dijk easily outjumps Joao Felix to win the header and clear up the field
A furious Diego Costa boots the water bottle carrier after being taken off by Diego Simeone early into the second half
Adrian rushes off his line to collect the ball ahead of Angel Correa after making a good diving save down to his left
Liverpool defender Robertson holds his head in his hands in a show of frustration after seeing his shot blocked by Trippier