Liverpool qualified for the last-16 of the Champions League and guaranteed top spot in Group B with two games to spare after a 2-0 win over Atletico Madrid. Atletico had Felipe sent off in the first half playing down a man for the entire second half. Trent Alexander-Arnold initiated a typically fast start for Liverpool, providing the assists for Diogo Jota to open the scoring thirteen minutes into the game and Sadio Mane to tap home eight minutes later. Felipe was shown a straight red card at the thirty six minute mark for his foul on Mane. It was unclear whether Felipe was sent off for the foul or for refusing to acknowledge being summoned by the referee Danny Makkelie. Roberto Firmino lasted only thirty three minutes in the second half before departing with a hamstring problem as Liverpool’s injury list continues to grow ahead of the weekend match with West Ham. Klopp admitted during his post game press conference that he hated having to substitute Mane at half-time as he feared the visitors’ “gamesmanship” would get the player sent off. Mane had been targeted by the opposition from the first whistle, much like in their last meeting in Madrid in February 2020, and like on that occasion Klopp took the decision to minimise the risk by replacing Sadio Mane at half-time.
“I think everyone in the stadium expected it. I thought it was the right thing to do and I hated it more than you can imagine,” said Klopp, “I was not worried that Sadio cannot handle his emotions – he was calm but the thing is the ball comes in the air for a headed challenge and the [Atletico] player goes down. We all saw what the Madrid players did, rolling around to try to equal the number of players again. I didn’t like it but it was the right thing to do.”
With Liverpool clinching what was called “The Group of Death” then the draw happened the Reds sit 7 points clear of everyone else with two matches remaining. Klopp was asked if he would let his key players rest for the remaining two matches,
“You earn a lot of money if you win Champions League games. Not me personally, it’s just for the club it’s important so that’s what we will do. Of course the first target is to get through the group and getting through the group with 12 points out of four match days is absolutely insane. But there are two more games to go and one is against Porto, a home game. We are Liverpool, what can we do? Let them play? Then going to Milan, I’ve never been there and we will show up there as well. When I saw the group I didn’t think we’d be through after four games but the boys did it and it’s well deserved.”
Liverpool are now unbeaten in 25 games in all competitions (18 wins – 7 Draws), dating all the way back to a 3-1 loss at Real Madrid in last season’s Champions League quarter-final first leg. It equalled the Reds’ unbeaten record as a football league club.
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