Liverpool v Atlético Madrid: Champions League last 16 second leg – live!

17 min Atletico are defending so deep, with the front two of Joao Felix and Diego Costa often only 30 yards from their own goal.

15 min “Hi Rob,” says Peter Oh. “Re: 10 min. I’m somewhat disappointed that Diego Costa hasn’t been sent off yet but I do feel some empathy for his…oldness. Ok, I’m done with empathy now. Attack!!!”

14 min Oxlade-Chamberlain’s fierce low drive, through a crowded area, is palmed away by the diving Oblak. He got a bit lucky, Oblak, as he could easily have pushed it straight to a Liverpool player.

11 min A cross is headed out to Henderson, whose mishit shot from 25 yards goes well wide. It hasn’t quite been the ferocious start I expected from Liverpool, although they only need one goal to level the tie.

10 min Salah curls over the bar from the edge of the area. It was a typical effort: he received the ball from Mane, cut inside Saul Niguez and tried to curl it into the far top corner.

10 min Joao Felix looks really bright whenever Atletico do have the ball. Diego Costa looks … old.

9 min After a short free-kick, Partey drives a long, angled pass over the Liverpool defence. Trippier gets round the back but has to stretch to reach the ball and his attempted volley across goal goes into the side netting. Adrian had it covered.

6 min Atletico are taking plenty of time over any throw-ins, a tactic that is booed every time by the Liverpool fans. The atmosphere is marvellously hostile.

5 min The first half-chance for Liverpool. Alexander-Arnold’s cross, from a narrow position on the right, is flicked towards goal by the head of Wijnaldum. Oblak moves smartly across his line to make a comfortable save.

4 min Lots of early posssession for Liverpool, the first 13 seconds aside. Atletico always knew it was going to be like this.

2 min “‘Quite annoying’,” says Matt Dony. “Yes, Jürgen. If there’s one phrase that sums up playing a Diego Simeone team, especially one with a lead to defend, it’s ‘quite annoying’. Don’t get me wrong, I love Simeone, but I’m not expecting this match to be anything other than quite annoying. And, obviously, by ‘quite annoying’, we all mean ‘absolutely flipping infuriating, frustrating and maddening’!”

13 seconds: Costa hits the side netting! That was half a chance. He ran onto a nice through pass from Joao Felix, rumbled to the edge of the area and hit a low shot that Adrian ushered into the side netting. He was under pressure from Gomez (I think); otherwise it would have been a clear chance.

The players emerge from the tunnel on a wild night at Anfield. It’s wet, windy and bloody loud. Adrian looks a little pensive; this is a huge night for him.

Jurgen Klopp speaks “It’s a complex thing tonight. We need a complete performance. We know Atletico can be quite annoying, we can be annoying as well in a different way, so it’s a good fit for Diego Costa. We have to keep calm and play our football.”

“Fabinho had looked a little off his feed and strangely tentative on it following his return from injury,” says Ian Copestake. “Chambo definitely deserves his start after his last game. He’s also the only one who can score from outside a box otherwise brimful with Madridistas.”

The tempo in the first 20 minutes is going to be quite something.

Liverpool are aiming to win the European Cup for the seventh time, and to retain it for the first time since 1978. I’m not sure that will be possible, mind you: it looks increasingly likely that the coronavirus will stop the 2019-20 season from being completed.

Tonight’s other Champions League match is a cracker, and Paul Doyle is all over it.

There’s one slight surprise in the Liverpool team, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain preferred to Fabinho. Atletico’s starting XI includes Kieran Trippier and the popular, equable Diego Costa. Popcorn, please!

Liverpool (4-3-3) Adrian; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, van Dijk, Robertson; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Henderson, Wijnaldum; Salah, Firmino, Mane.
Substitutes: Lonergan, Fabinho, Milner, Minamino, Lallana, Origi, Matip.

Atletico Madrid (4-4-2) Oblak; Trippier, Savic, Felipe, Renan Lodi; Koke, Saul Niguez, Thomas, Correa; Diego Costa, Joao Felix.
Substitutes: Adan, Gimenez, Morata, Lemar, Llorente, Carrasco, Vrsaljko.

Referee Danny Makkelie (Netherlands).

The pyrotechnics have begun in the streets around Anfield …

But Simeone is in the building …

Hello and welcome to live coverage of Liverpool’s attack versus Atletico Madrid’s defence. That, all things being equal, is how tonight’s match will pan out. Atletico won the first leg 1-0, the ideal score to set up a night of tension, drama and one-way traffic at Anfield.

Liverpool are the best team in Europe but Atletico are probably the best party-poopers in Europe. They will have not a solitary qualm about defending deep, wasting time, playing on the break and bantering Liverpool off for 90 minutes with you-know-what. If Atletico score one goal, Liverpool will need to get three against an accomplished and extremely experienced (sic) defence.

Jurgen Klopp’s side have had a recent blip – some people even used the word ‘crisis’, apparently with a straight face – but they have Jordan Henderson back to raise the intensity. They have never lost a two-legged European tie under Jurgen Klopp, and whatever happens they won’t go quietly.

Nor will Atletico. They live for chances like this, to stick one up the elite in a Champions League knockout tie. They did it to Barcelona and Chelsea in 2013-14, and to Barcelona and Bayern Munich two years later. That last victory, over Pep Guardiola’s Bayern, is their template for tonight.

Liverpool have plenty of templates to consult. From Juventus in 1965-66 to Barcelona in 2018-19, via Saint-Etienne, Auxerre and Borussia Dortmund, this club loves a second-leg Anfield comeback.

Kick off is at 8pm GMT.