Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp was thrilled with Muhammad Salah’s performance and third victory in the Champions League season after a 3-2 victory at Atlética Madrid. He appreciated the strength of his team, which succeeded despite the loss of a two-goal lead, and also paused over the actions of the opponent’s coach Diego Simeone, who did not shake his hand after the final whistle and ran to the cabins. But he wasn’t looking for anything serious.
“I wanted to shake his hand, but he disappeared. It wasn’t something I liked, but we’re both emotional. Next time we see each other, we’ll definitely shake hands. Nothing’s happening.” Kloppa was quoted by Reuters. “He was obviously angry, but not at me, just at the defeat. I can’t explain it otherwise,” added a German coach.
Liverpool continues to hold a 100% balance in the prestigious competition, consolidating their lead in Group B with nine points. club shooter in the Champions League. The current record holder Steven Gerrard has one goal less on his account.
“Salah is a fantastic footballer. He always proves it on the field. He not only gives great goals, but also helps us a lot in defense. He is a team player.” Klopp praised her.
The 29-year-old Egyptian made his mark for the first time in the 8th minute of the match, followed by team-mate Naby Keita. However, Atlético equalized with two goals by Antoine Griezmann until the break. “At halftime, everyone at the stadium thought it would be just one goal, but we thought we’d try again.” said Klopp.
The champions of 2019 were also helped by the disqualification of Griezmann, who received a red card in the 52nd minute after the intervention on Firmina. The decision came 12 minutes before the end, when after a foul on Jota, Salah turned the ordered penalty kick. The Egyptian in the “Reds” jersey made his mark for the ninth time in a row. “Honestly, it’s not as important as you win. Sometimes even ugly winnings are one of the most important.” said Klopp.
The frustration of the home fans was exacerbated by the situation a moment later, when referee Siebert first ordered a penalty in favor of Atlétic, but immediately withdrew it after watching the video. “I was almost sure it wasn’t a penalty. I saw the whole event and I immediately told the referee. He was under a lot of pressure at the time, but I think he made the right decision.” said Klopp.
Atlético still has four points after the first loss in this year’s Champions League and is in second place ahead of Porto only due to a better score. “We didn’t win, so I’m not happy. On the other hand, we showed our strength. Creating four goals against Liverpool is not so common.” said Simeone, who regretted mainly the exclusion of Griezmann. “He’s upset. He weakened the team at an important moment, but we all saw that there was no intention in the intervention. It was just for the referee’s interpretation.” added the Argentine coach.
