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A brace by Marcos Llorente and a late strike deep into extra-time from Alvaro Morata were enough to render goals by Gini Wjnaldum and Roberto Firmino useless, with Atletico Madrid progressing 4-3 on aggregate to the quarter-finals and knocking defending champions Liverpool out of the Champions League on their own turf.
One would have been forgiven for thinking they were watching a repeat of the first leg, with Atletico Madrid content to defend even deeper than they did in their own stadium, while Liverpool had all the possession for the entirety of the 120 minutes.
However, unlike that night at the Wanda Metropolitano, the Reds reverted to their form of old and played some of their best football in recent weeks, carving out numerous chances and went into the break deservedly ahead courtesy of another trademark Champions League header from Wjnaldum.
They pushed to get the winner in regular time but a combined effort from Felipe, Stefan Savic, and Jan Oblak, as well as the deep-lying midfield block, ensured this did not happen and took the match to extra-time.
Firmino scored his first goal at Anfield in almost a year when he converted his deflected header off the post but the visitors soon turned the tie on its head with two quickfire goals from Llorente which left Liverpool needing two goals to qualify and just 15 minutes to get them.
This proved to be a comeback too far for even the revered Anfield and Morata condemned them to defeat with a goal on the break with what was essentially the last kick of the game.
Atletico Madrid would progress to the last eight, while Liverpool would be left licking their wounds and here, we shall be highlighting five things we learned from the extremely engaging fixture at Anfield.
Also Read: Liverpool 2-3 Atletico Madrid: 5 reasons why the Reds lost the match | UEFA Champions League 2019-20
#5 Anti-climatic end to Liverpool's season
Liverpool have played some of the best football ever seen anywhere this term and their emphatic displays essentially saw them installed as Premier League champions-elect as early as December.
There were also trophies won in the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup and the overwhelming consensus was that the Merseysiders had begun to reap the dividends of the appointment of Jurgen Klopp in 2015.
However, a significant drop in performance levels after the winter break saw the Reds lose three out of four matches, having lost just 'one' of their previous 50, with defeats to Atletico Madrid, Watford, and Chelsea all suffered in the space of a fortnight.
This saw them lose not just their unbeaten start but also knocked out of the FA Cup and hanging on the precipice in the Champions League and this second-leg defeat means they would not get the chance to defend the title that kicked off their excellent year.
With two months to go in the regular season, Liverpool are left just playing for the Premier League title, which is already a guarantee and this rubs the sheen off what they have accomplished this term.
Make no mistake about it, Koppites would have given an arm to win just the Premier League this season but the emphatic nature with which they started the campaign meant that so much more was expected from this team.
Many were already comparing them to great sides of the past but they have fallen some way off in achieving what the likes of Barcelona did in 2009 or AC Milan in the late 1980s, while Real Madrid's three-peat and Manchester United's treble winners still hold bragging rights over Liverpool.
Even Manchester City, for all of the derision they have received this term, are still in contention for two titles and progression in both of them would mean that their season would have purpose and meaningful matches heading into the home-run of the campaign.
This is not in any way to take away from the achievements of Liverpool but for how brilliant they were, their elimination from the Champions League has a bit of anti-climatic feel to it, laying credence to the saying that titles are only handed out in May.
#4 Atletico Madrid continue to prove mettle on the grandest stages
In the aftermath of Atletico Madrid's 3-1 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge that saw them through to the final of the 2014 Champions League, manager Diego Simeone gave the rather bizarre compliment to his players' mothers for giving them 'big coj*nes'.
While the literal meaning of that phrase should be taken at surface value, it cannot be denied that the Colchoneros showed immense courage and determination en-route their magical campaign in 2014 and this is a trait that has remained with them ever since.
That season, Atletico Madrid went to iconic stadiums like the Nou Camp, the San Siro, and the aforementioned Stamford Bridge but despite being the overwhelming underdogs, they came unscathed and got the job done.
Further visits to the Camp Nou and the Allianz Arena still could not put them down and if not for the numerous one-man show by Cristiano Ronaldo over the years, it is undebatable that Atletico would have had at least one Champions League trophy in their cabinet.
This season, they have been far from their best and despite their one-goal advantage, they were still significant underdogs given their poor away form and superb performance of their hosts.
There is arguably no stadium more famed for hosting improbable comebacks than Anfield, with last year's 4-0 destruction of Barcelona joining a list of great 'European nights' that saw the likes of Inter Milan, St Etienne, Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Olympiakos all fall victim.
In a repeat performance of what the Atleti fans did three weeks ago, Liverpool fans went even further and turned Anfield into a sea of red, with a heartfelt rendition of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' spurring the players on and giving an indication that another big European result was on the cards.
The intense atmosphere at Anfield is no exaggeration, with several world-beaters who have performed on every corner of the planet giving it credence. Pep Guardiola called it a 'bugger of a ground', while Gianluigi Buffon answered 'definitely Anfield' when asked about his favourite stadium atmosphere and said that he had trouble concentrating inside the first 15 minutes.
Such endorsements by all-time greats are no mean feat but Atletico Madrid seemingly missed the memo and were not struck by any of the nerves players associate with playing at Anfield on European nights.
They executed their gameplan with minimum fuss and not even the roaring cries of 50,000 Liverpool supporters could faze them and at the end of 120 minutes, they added the great Anfield to the list of stadiums where they have gone and gotten the job done.
It was telling that towards the end of extra-time, the handful of Atleti supporters in the stands could be heard cheering their team on which was scarcely believable considering how outnumbered they were in the stands and silencing Anfield to a pin-drop is proof that Simeone's description six years ago still holds true for his players.
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#3 A tale of two goalkeepers
If keen followers of the game were asked to name their choices for three best goalkeepers in the world, it is highly likely that an overwhelming majority would have both Alisson Becker and Jan Oblak on their lists.
The two men have been nothing short of stellar in the last few years, with the Brazilian serving as the missing piece of Jurgen Klopp's puzzle at Anfield, while Oblak has been sublime between the sticks for Atletico Marid.
A calf injury ruled Alisson out of this clash and Adrian took his place between in goal and the former West Ham man showed the difference in quality, making a schoolboy error to hand the initiative to the visitors.
Whereas Oblak's 12 saves on the night proved to be the difference between qualification and elimination for Atletico Madrid, his opposite number highlighted why the need for a reliable goalkeeper can never be underestimated no matter how balanced the rest of the team is.
#2 Anfield record broken
Anfield has been turned into something of a fortress since Jurgen Klopp took over and Liverpool are currently on a record-breaking run of having won 22 consecutive league matches at home (a Premier League record), while they have not lost any of their last 54 league games at home since losing to Crystal Palace in April 2017 (the longest in Europe's top five leagues).
They also carried their impressive form with them to Europe, as the Reds had not lost a home game on the continent since 2014 and this defeat to Atletico Madrid ended this fine run in Europe, while also seeing Liverpool suffer defeat at Anfield in any competition since losing to Chelsea in the Carabao Cup in 2018 (a run of 42 matches).
Furthermore, this was the first two-legged European tie lost since Klopp became manager, having reached the showpiece event of all three previous European tournaments he participated in, losing the Europa League final to Sevilla in 2017 and the Champions League final to Real Madrid a year later, while triumphing over Tottenham last year.
#1 Marcos Llorente makes a difference
Among several world-class players on display for both sides, it would have been hard to imagine that it was a Real Madrid reject who would turn the tie on its head and prove to be the difference-maker.
Marcos Llorente did not even start the match, only introduced with 32 minutes to go but that did not stop him from making a mark, ending the night with two goals and an assist in extra-time to send his side to the quarterfinals.
Both of his goals were well-taken finishes, belying the fact that the 25-year-old is neither a forward nor a regular starter, while his pristine through-ball to Alvaro Morata for the winner had all the hallmarks of a technically gifted midfielder.
His brace made him the first Atletico Madrid player to score two goals off the bench since Sergio Aguero did so against Chelsea in 2009 and with his performance tonight, Llorente made a solid case to be a more regular fixture for Los Colchoneros.
