Jurgen Klopp seethes at Atletico Madrid’s defensive tactics after Liverpool are dumped out of Europe

Jurgen Klopp has hit out at Atletico Madrid for not playing ‘proper football’ after his Liverpool side were dumped out of the Champions League by Diego Simeone’s side on Wednesday night.

Substitute pairing Marcos Llorente and Alvaro Morata combined in extra time to put three past the reigning European champions and record a 3-2 win at Anfield.

Atletico defended deep throughout the game as they aimed to capitalise on a first-leg win that saw them leading by a single goal.

Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak was in imperious form to keep Liverpool out but the visitors’ tactics to hit the Reds on the counter irked Klopp. 

Following the result, Klopp told BT Sport: ‘I’m completely happy with the performance. What can I say? It’s so difficult to play against a side like that. 

‘I don’t understand with this quality they have to be honest why they play this type of football. It’s right, the winner is always.

Diego Simeone celebrates after Atletico Madrid secured their progression to the quarters

‘When I see players like Koke, Saul, Llorente, they could play proper football and not stand in their own half and play counter-attacking football.

‘They beat us, that’s how it is and we accept that of course. Congratulations to them. It doesn’t feel right tonight. I realise I’m a really, really bad loser.

‘Especially when the boys put such an effort in a game. Not just two players but with two banks of four and two strikers in front of them. They didn’t even have counter-attacks.

Klopp insisted that players like Koke (right) could play ‘proper football’ after the defeat

‘They were just brilliant. We have to accept that we concede three goals but the game can decide this.

‘We had some lucky moments in the Champions League, we know that to get to two finals. Today, it was pretty much everything against us in the decisive moments.’

Liverpool dominated possession while they managed to put 11 of their 34 shots on target.