Simeone's 'Plan B' works to perfection... with a little help from Real

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When Diego Costa ambled off the pitch early in the second half and kicked the medical bag as he walked past Diego Simeone, it looked like it would not be Atletico Madrid’s night.

Little did anyone know at that point, but the moment would prove pivotal. After a rollercoaster ride which saw Saul Niguez denied by the offside flag in added time and then Liverpool take the lead for the first time in the tie after 94 minutes, Costa's replacement stole the show.

Marcos Llorente’s fine finish following a mistake from Adrian, as Joao Felix intercepted a loose pass from the Liverpool goalkeeper, made it 2-2 on aggregate and suddenly, Atleti had the edge again because of the away goal.

Later, he did it again, this time slotting another precise shot past Adrian from an Alvaro Morata pass. And then, in the dying seconds, he set up Morata for a third.

(AFP via Getty Images)

The two former Real Madrid team-mates had combined, as they had so often in the youth teams for Los Blancos, to hand Atletico a historic victory at Anfield.

Llorente’s great uncle, Madrid legend Paco Gento, would have been proud. Gento has six European Cups and Llorente longed to follow in his footsteps for Los Blancos. But with opportunities limited at Real, he has crossed the derby divide.

After a slow start, he has become more and more important and perhaps he was the “Plan B” Diego Simeone spoke of in Tuesday’s pre-match press conference.

The midfielder, along with heroic goalkeeper Jan Oblak, has effectively kept Atleti’s season alive after disappointments in LaLiga and the Copa del Rey. And before tonight, he had scored just six goals in his entire professional career.

In Pictures | Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid | 11/03/2020

In Pictures | Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid | 11/03/2020

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The Champions League remains the one trophy Simeone is yet to win as Atleti coach and, having lost out in two finals to Real Madrid, he saw two of their former players lead the team into the last eight on Wednesday.

This may have been Anfield, but the Rojiblancos rattled the Reds over two legs and as AS said on their report after the game, this is 'el Atleti'.