Atletico Madrid versus Liverpool is the grudge that keeps giving. It’s the fixture where a missed handshake between respective managers can provoke a melodrama, where a sneery remark from one bench about the other festers as a source of resentment.
And Liverpool and Atletico need not be even playing in the same country, let alone against one another, for mutual suspicion to crackle.
Thanks to their pair of victories over an Atletico who in both games were reduced to 10 men, Liverpool have conquered Group B of the Uefa Champions League in double-quick time. Their maximum points so far now means that ahead of Wednesday's matchday five, they are guaranteed to finish top. They now get to be kingmakers over who might join them in the knockout phase.
Liverpool take on second-placed Porto at Anfield with the opportunity to rest players, to experiment, or to give valuable European experience to some of the emerging talent at the club that has been glimpsed over recent weeks. And the possibility of a weakened Liverpool alarms Atletico Madrid, who take on AC Milan in Spain.
Atletico have a point less than Porto, so they know a Porto win at Anfield could push the Spanish champions a step further from reaching the next round. Group B was always set up for a brutal denouement, and leaving aside the authority Jurgen Klopp’s team have established, the rest of the competition for a spot in the top two is as suspenseful as had been anticipated when the draw came up with this quartet of clubs: They have been in a combined total of 25 European Cup finals.
Liverpool v Atletico Madrid ratings
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LIVERPOOL RATINGS: Alisson Becker - 7: The Brazilian did not have a lot to do but he was assured in his handling and sharp off his line when necessary. EPA -
Trent Alexander-Arnold - 8: The 23-year-old set up both goals, the first with a penetrating cross and the second with a miscued shot. He was rarely worried defensively. PA -
Joel Matip - 7: The centre back enjoyed an easy night on his return to the side. His only disappointment was a late, underserved booking. AFP -
Virgil van Dijk - 7: The Dutchman was in cruise control. He hardly broke sweat and was rarely tested by the Atletico attack. EPA -
Kostas Tsimikas - 7: The Greek was committed, combative and effective up and down the line. He ensured Trippier could not get forward with any frequency. Reuters -
Fabinho - 7: The team is so much stronger when the Brazilian is playing. He cut out danger at source and used the ball cleverly. He was replaced by Thiago after an hour as he is being nursed back after injury. EPA -
Jordan Henderson - 8: Fabinho’s return freed the captain to play on the right, a position where he is comfortable. His link play with Alexander-Arnold was excellent. EPA -
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - 7: The 28-year-old relished his starting role after spending so much time as a substitute. He drove forward and tracked back with energy and came off with 12 minutes left to be replaced by Minamino. PA -
Mohamed Salah - 8: The Egyptian had chances and failed to score. He could have played Jota in on a couple of occasions, too. But that is only half the story. The striker caused Hermoso to pick up a yellow card early on and spread fear and confusion throughout the defence. EPA -
Diogo Jota - 7: The Portuguese scored a superb header and should have had another when the ball hit his shoulder. He was busy and dangerous. AP -
Sadio Mane - 8: The Senegalese was targeted by Atletico and punished them with a goal. He also showed a willingness to engage in battle and was replaced at half time by Firmino as a precaution against picking up a second yellow card. PA -
SUBS: Roberto Firmino - 7: The Brazilian joined the action for the second half for Mane and enjoyed the space offered by 10 men until he suffered a hamstring injury and had to go off with 12 minutes to go. Replaced by Origi. EPA -
Thiago Alcantara - 6: The 30-year-old replaced Fabinho on the hour but did not look sharp after his injury layoff. He was sloppy on the ball but will be better for the runout. AP -
Divock Origi - 6: The Belgian came on for Firmino after 78 minutes. He chased the ball, worked hard and showed his strength. AP -
Takumi Minamino - 6: The Japanese saw 12 minutes of action after replacing Oxlade-Chamberlain. He kept busy even though the game was dead. Reuters -
Nathaniel Phillips - 5: The centre back made a brief appearance late in stoppage time for Alexander-Arnold. There was not enough time for him to work up a sweat. Reuters -
ATLETICO MADRID RATINGS: Jan Oblak - 7: The Slovenian was one of the few in his team who could walk away from Anfield with his head held high. He made some good saves and could do nothing about the goals. AFP -
Kieran Trippier - 4: The Englishman struggled to get forward and was kept on the back foot by Tsimikas. His distribution was wayward, too. PA -
Felipe - 1: The Brazilian should have done better for both goals and then was foolish enough to provoke the referee into giving him an avoidable red card. A moronic performance. AP -
Jose Maria Gimenez - 4: The Uruguayan was insecure at the back. When he got forward, he managed to edge offside and cause Suarez’s goal to be disallowed. AFP -
Mario Hermoso - 4: The Spaniard was awful in the reverse fixture and was little better at Anfield. He was booked early on, showing that the only way he could deal with Salah was to use brute force. With this option unavailable, his tackling was tentative. AFP -
Koke - 4: As in Madrid, the 29-year-old was anonymous. He was replaced by Matheus Cunha with 21 minutes to go. Reuters -
Rodrigo De Paul - 4: The Argentinian showed glimpses of skill with the odd precise pass but he was unable to gain any control in midfield. He was often bypassed by Liverpool's quick breaks. PA -
Angel Correa - 4: The Argentinian worked hard but to scant effect. He was always a step or two behind the Liverpool runners. He was replaced by Serrano with 15 minutes left. EPA -
Yannick Carrasco - 5: The Belgian provided his team’s biggest threat and he was hardly impressive. He was taken off for Vrsaljko with 21 minutes left. Reuters -
Joao Felix - 3: The Portuguese worried Liverpool in Madrid but his passing was dreadful last night. It looked as if he and Suarez were playing together for the first time. He was withdrawn for Renan Lodi just before the hour. AP -
Luis Suarez - 3: The former Liverpool hero was booed relentlessly and rarely had any impact on the game. He thought he had pulled a goal back but it was ruled out for outside and moments later he was replaced by Herrera. EPA -
SUBS: Hector Herrera - 3: The Mexican came on for Suarez with 31 minutes left. He wasted his team’s best chance by dwelling on the ball and then shooting wide. AP -
Renan Lodi - 5: The left back replaced Joao Felix in 59th minute. The defence looked more solid after his arrival but by then Liverpool had largely stopped trying. AP -
Matheus Cunha - 4: The 22-year-old joined the action in place of Koke with 21 minutes left. There was nothing he could do to change the direction of the match. AP -
Sime Vrsaljko - 4: The Croat came on for Carrasco in the 69th minute and made little impression in his time on the pitch. AFP -
Javi Serrano - 4: The 18-year-old entered the game in the 75th minute for Correa and saw little of the ball. Getty
Milan have won seven. They may have only a point from their four group matches so far, but they are not out of the race, and they come to Madrid nursing some potent grumbles about refereeing in previous matches, and deep regrets that they were unable, in their opening matches, to hold on to leads against Liverpool or Diego Simeone’s Atletico.
But the pertinent gripes about officiating are Simeone’s. He was already spiky after Klopp revisited some scathing remarks about Atletico’s deep-lying, cagey, counter-attacking style that the Liverpool manager had made when Atletico came back from two goals behind to win a last-16 tie at Anfield in March 2020.
Then there was Simeone’s reluctance to shake Klopp’s hand - Simeone shakes no rivals’ hand, post-match, as a rule - after Antoine Griezmann had been shown a red card in the see-saw 3-2 Liverpool win in Madrid. Felipe was then dismissed in Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Atletico at Anfield.
Felipe serves his suspension on Wednesday, while Joao Felix is doubtful because of injury. Milan are missing Fikayo Tomori from the centre of their defence and Ante Rebic from the forward line, which, as head coach Stefano Pioli pointed out, limits his attacking options in a fixture where only a win would maintain Milan’s hope of finishing in the top two.
“It means we only have three forwards available for two places,” said Pioli. He might have added that two of those three, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Olivier Giroud, have a combined age of 75 and have yet to play a full 90 minutes together for Milan.
Both Simeone and Pioli will be almost as curious about what line-up Klopp chooses against Porto at Anfield as about each other’s chosen XIs. “If Porto win they can set up a ‘final’ against Atletico,” Klopp indirectly reminded his rival Simeone, although that winner-takes-all ‘final’ in the last group game, when Porto host Atletico, would need Atletico to match or better Porto’s result on Wednesday.
And Klopp will not field a full-strength Liverpool. Andy Robertson and Jordan Henderson are “okay”, said their manager but he cast doubt on their readiness, in terms of fitness, to start against Porto.
“We have to line up a team to win a football game - we need stability,” he added, sensitive to Atletico’s fears that Liverpool might ease up. “We always respect the competition, [but] we have to think about ourselves and our schedule first.”
Were Klopp to survey a Champions League last 16 without Atletico in it, it might look gentler. So might a knockout phase without Borussia Dortmund, who effectively play off for their survival, without the injured Erling Haaland, at Lisbon’s Sporting. Those two clubs are locked on six points each in a Group C that Ajax command with four wins so far.
A heavyweight could also tumble out of Group D where Sheriff Tiraspol, the Champions League debutants, will attempt in Moldova to repeat their stunning September victory over Real Madrid and potentially leapfrog group leaders Madrid and second-placed Internazionale, the Italian champions, who host Shakhtar Donetsk.
