It is a measure of Liverpool’s form that, in a group facing three clubs who have appeared in 16 European Cup finals between them, Jurgen Klopp’s side have qualified in first place with two games to spare.
This was expected to be a ferocious struggle between two clubs whose style of play is uncompromising and who seem to have taken a dislike to one another. Atletico Madrid were, in the flesh, as anaemic as Liverpool were relentless and although the night would be recalled for a bizarre dismissal, they might have been beaten by many more than two goals.
Nine minutes from the interval, the Brazilian defender Felipe Monteiro, chased after Sadio Mane as he sprinted forward well inside the Liverpool half.
The tackle was from behind. It was cynically designed to prevent another attack against a defence that seemed on the verge of falling apart. It was by no stretch of the laws of football a red card.
Felipe walked back into his own half, putting a thumb up to the referee, Danny Makkelie, in anticipation of the expected yellow card. It was a straight red. There was a suggestion that the tackle, added to the show of dissent, had sparked the dismissal – but that would have been two yellows. Makkelie is a police inspector in the Netherlands which suggests that the burden of proof on the streets of Rotterdam is rather less than it is elsewhere.
In the previous game in Madrid, the dismissal of Antoine Griezmann had swung the game Liverpool’s way. Here, Felipe’s red card merely confirmed their dominance.
That may have been why, instead of confronting the referee during the interval, Diego Simeone slipped down the tunnel. Even with 11 men, Atletico Madrid had been utterly outplayed.
Although only 200 fans had made the journey from Madrid, the night, perhaps fuelled by Simeone’s pointed failure to shake hands with Klopp last month, had begun in a frenetic atmosphere. The challenges were niggly and those from Atletico were howled down.
After 13 minutes the sound changed as Trent Alexander Arnold produced the first of two passes that gave Liverpool a sense of control they never looked remotely like surrendering.
They were not crosses but balls played diagonally into the box. Diogo Jota reacted more quickly than a line of three blue shirts and, allowing the ball to bounce, produced a cushioned header past Jan Oblak.
Seven minutes later came a remarkably similar ball. This time it was met by Mane, who had begun the move with the same precision with which Jota had scored the first. There was the same acceleration, the same defender left for dead. The difference was that Mane employed his boot rather than his head.
It was the kind of delivery Atletico Madrid never came to terms with. Three minutes after the interval, a pass from Joel Matip split a disintegrating defence for Jota to finish off. He was, however, called offside, although Mohamed Salah, Jota and Matip might have given the scoreline a sense of crushing finality.
The return of Luis Suarez was an absolute anti-climax. Ten years ago he had scored his first goal 16 minutes after setting foot on the Anfield turf.
However, at the age of 34, the magic is rationed. During the first half, with Liverpool leading by two goals, he passed straight to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. It was the action of a frustrated, distracted man.
Then suddenly, from the edge of the area, there was a flash of the only magic Suarez produced all evening. He barely celebrated, which was just as well as the goal was ruled out for offside. Suarez was substituted shortly afterwards and left to jeers and a smattering of applause.
It might smack of ingratitude to a man who scored wonderful goals at Anfield and made the club £64 million when he was sold to Barcelona but Luis Alberto Suarez Diaz is part of Liverpool’s past. Their future looks very bright.
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/2ZOzvq3
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