Holders Liverpool has crashed out
of the UEFA Champions League in the last 16 after Atletico Madrid struck three
times in extra time to earn a shock 3-2 victory at Anfield that sent them
through 4-2 on aggregate.
After falling 2-0 down on the night, substitute Marcos Llorente struck twice in extra time and Alvaro Morata added a late third to ensure a famous victory for Madrid against a Liverpool team unbeaten in their last 25 home games in European competition.
Liverpool, trailing 1-0 from the first leg, broke through two minutes before halftime when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain burst to the byline and pulled back a cross to Georginio Wijnaldum who powered an angled header into the bottom corner.
Liverpool took the lead in the tie four minutes into extra time with Roberto Firmino heading against the post and then driving home the loose ball.
Yet then it all went wrong for Juergen Klopp's side, a dreadful pass out from goalkeeper Adrian straight to Joao Felix, gifted Atletico the ball and Llorente punished the Liverpool keeper for his error with a precise shot into the far corner.
Llorente then produced a carbon-copy finish as Liverpool's defence backed off following good work on the counter from Morata to end Liverpool's hopes of defending their European crown.
Meanwhile, Paris St Germain put their Champions League last-16 traumas behind them as they beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 to reach the quarter-finals, although no fans were in the stadium to witness the achievement.
Neymar and Juan Bernat scored
before halftime to secure a 3-2 aggregate win for PSG after a game played
behind closed doors due to the coronavirus, which has infected 2,281 people and
killed 48 in France.
[Source: Radio NZ]
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