Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone defended his side’s approach after dumping Liverpool out of the Champions League with a 3-2 victory after extra time at Anfield to progress to the quarter-finals, winning 4-2 on aggregate.
The holders looked to have ended Atletico’s dogged resistance when Roberto Firmino put them ahead in the last-16 tie after Georginio Wijnaldum’s first-half header forced the second leg into an extra 30 minutes.
However, Liverpool were made to rue a host of missed chances to kill the tie off in 90 minutes as Llorente twice curled home from outside the box before Alvaro Morata twisted the knife by breaking away to score in added time of extra time.
Defeat ends Jurgen Klopp’s proud record of never losing a two-legged European tie as Liverpool manager and he took a swipe of Atletico’s defensive tactics.
“The way they play, I don’t get it,” said Klopp. “They could play proper football but they stand deep and have counter-attacks.”
It remains to be seen if and when Atletico will play in the last eight due to the chaos caused across the continent by the new coronavirus.
But Simeone basked in another famous European night for the side he has twice led to the final in his eight years in charge.
“We play to win, with the arms that we have,” said Simeone. “Respecting our identity, the characteristics of our players and exploiting the defects of our rivals.”
