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Liverpool's Robert Firmino was able to continue playing after Antoine Griezmann's kick, Griezmann was not allowed to
Photo: JUAN MEDINA / REUTERS
Last season, Liverpool were eliminated in the Champions League round of 16 against Atlético Madrid in extra time. Jürgen Klopp criticized the often destructive style of play of the Spanish capitals: "I just don't understand that they play this football with the quality they have," said Klopp. For the game on Tuesday evening, the Liverpool seemed to have big plans, already in the 13th minute it was 2-0 for the English: First Mohamed Salah dribbled through the Madrid defensive, before his conclusion was deflected unsustainably (8th minute ), then met Naby Keïta after an unsuccessful attempt at clearing a volley (13th).
Although Liverpool continued to dominate, Atlético came back into the game - via standards and counterattacks: After a brief corner, Antoine Griezmann steered an attempt by Koke from close range into an empty goal (20th). About a quarter of an hour later, Griezmann met again after a quick switch action via Joao Félix to equalize (34th). Only Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson, who had parried in a one-on-one with Griezmann before equalizing, prevented the outstanding Frenchman's hat trick (27th).
Because of the sheer light in Griezmann's game, shadows crept in in the second round: On the opposing penalty area, he met Roberto Firmino with the cleats in his face when he tried to take the ball. The German referee Daniel Siebert sent him off the pitch, a preliminary decision, so to speak, because afterwards Atlético hardly managed anything offensively. Siebert was then also involved in the crucial game scene when he decided on a penalty after Atlético's Mario Hermoso stepped in unnecessarily: Salah scored to win - and at least to give a little revenge for the past clash between the two teams (78th).
The fact that Porto's Iranian striker Mehdi Taremi is an excellent footballer should come as no surprise after his sensational side pull in the quarter-finals of last season against Chelsea. Against Milan, however, he made a curious preparatory work that the Portuguese left the field as winners for the first time in this Champions League season: After a duel in the penalty area, Taremi fell to the ground, complained briefly in order to achieve a penalty, picked But then - still lying - down a high ball and put it on perfectly for Luis Díaz, who hit the right corner (65th). Porto had already been the better team before, but it was rarely really necessary.
After the sensational defeat against Sheriff Tiraspol, there was already something like pressure at Real Madrid before the last day of the first half of the first half of the season in Group D. And in fact, the Madrilenians had a hard time in the first half, until the 38th minute there was no scoring chance - and what followed was not really one either: Lucas Vázquez crossed a ball from the right half-field into the penalty area and Karim Benzema . Donetsk defender Sergiy Kryvtsov hit the ball so unlucky that it fell over goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin.
The evening fate for Donetsk sealed in the second round Vinícius Júnior. First the 21-year-old hit after a wonderful pass from Luka Modrić alone in front of Trubin (51st), then he took on the defensive of the Ukrainians single-handedly and finally hit the short corner from a tight angle (58th). Then Donetsk fell apart: Rodrygo scored for fourth (65th), Real's star striker Benzema, from whom Kryvtsov stole a goal in the first half, for fifth (90th). Good conditions for El Clásico on Sunday against FC Barcelona (4.15 p.m., live ticker SPIEGEL.de; stream: DAZN).
As surprising as Sheriff's victory at Real was, the equalizer in Milan was just as surprising: Sebastian Thill, Madrid's dream goal scorer, circled a free kick in the 53rd minute to equalize.
In the first half, Edin Dzeko had put the Italian champions in the lead with a remarkable drop-off (34th).
There were no new points for the blatant outsider of the group: Arturo Vidal (58th) and Stefan de Vrij (67th) scored to win for Inter.
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