Defending Champion, Liverpool crash out of Champions League

<!– Atletico Madrid players celebrate their victory –>

Atletico Madrid players celebrate their victory

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Defending Champion, Liverpool have crashed out of the Champions League after a 3-2 loss to Atletico Madrid at Anfield on Wednesday.

The first leg was 1-0 in favour of Atletico Madrid, with the Spanish team going through on 4-2 aggregate.

Liverpool mounted the pressure right from the blast of the whistle but a resilient Atletico defence stopped them.

But the home side broke the deadlock on 43 minutes with a Georginio Wijnaldum’s goal.

A perfect lofted pass from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain found Wijnaldum, who jumped highest and steered a close-range header into the left side of the goal. His effort was both strong and precise, and Jan Oblak had no chance of stopping that.

Atletico had a goal disallowed on added time. With the match ending 1-1, the extra-time sets in.

Roberto Firmino gave Liverpool what looked like to have secured their qualification to the next stage when he made it 2-0 for the home side on 94th minute.

A rebound wrong footed everyone except Roberto Firmino and he slammed the ball into the open net from close range.

A goalkeeping blunder cost Liverpool, as Atletico Madrid silenced the crowded stadium, with a goal from Marcos Llorente on 97th minute.

Joao Felix teed up Marcos Llorente on the edge of the box and he fired the ball into the bottom right corner.

With the aggregate tying at 2-2, Liverpool needed to score to qualify, but it was the visitors who scored a heart-breaking goal.

Alvaro Morata slipped the ball to Marcos Llorente on the edge of the box and he found the right side of the net with a great effort. The score is 2-2 and 3-2 on aggregate in favour of Atletico Madrid.

Liverpool pressed harder to score two goals that will take them through to the next stage, but the worst came as substitute, Alvaro Morata scored a third goal for Atletico Madrid to make it 3-2 and 4-2 on aggregate.

Alvaro Morata was released by Marcos Llorente, he surged into the box and smashed a great shot into the top corner after a one-on-one with the goalkeeper.

With 67 percent possession, 35 goal attempts, 15 shots on goal and 16 corners, Liverpool could not take advantage of these to kill the game, but it was Atletico Madrid with 37 percent possession, 10 goal attempts, six shots on goal and three corner kicks that carried the day.

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