Jurgen Klopp took a swipe at Diego Simeone’s negative approach after Liverpool’s defeat (Picture: BT Sport)

Ray Parlour has hit out at Jurgen Klopp’s decision to criticise Atletico Madrid’s negative tactics after Liverpool crashed out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage on Wednesday evening.

Georginio Wijnaldum took the second leg to extra-time with a powerful header in the 43rd minute and Liverpool looked on course for the quarter-finals after Roberto Firmino’s strike put them ahead in the tie. But a flurry of late goals from Marcos Llorente (2) and Alvaro Morata put the visitors out of sight at the end of a dramatic night at Anfield.

Atleti’s dogged display left the European champions clueless at times on Merseyside, with Jan Oblak, Felipe and Stefan Savic all producing titanic defensive performances in their backs-to-the-wall 3-2 (agg 4-2) victory.

Llorente completed an extra-time brace after replacing Diego Costa (Picture: Getty)

However, Liverpool head coach Klopp was less than impressed with Diego Simeone’s negative approach as he discussed his side’s defeat after the final whistle.




‘I am completely happy with the performance. It’s so difficult to play a side like this,’ the German said.

‘I don’t understand with the quality they have that they play this kind of football. I don’t understand that. But the winner is always right.

‘When I see players like Llorente, Koke, Saul Niguez… they could play proper football but they stand deep in their own half and have counter-attacks but they beat us so we accept that and congratulate them.

‘We accept it of course but it doesn’t feel right tonight. I realise I am a really bad loser, especially when the boys put such an effort in against world class players on the other side who defend with two rows of four.

‘We know in the last two years we had some lucky moments in the Champions League, you have to, to reach two finals, but today it was everything was against us in the decisive moments.’

Arsenal legend Parlour has criticised Klopp’s post-match comments (Picture: Getty)

Speaking on talkSPORT the morning after Liverpool’s elimination, Parlour criticised Klopp’s post-match comments and praised Atletico for getting their tactics right at Anfield.

‘I’m surprised he’s had a go at the way they play. How does he think they’re going to play?’ the former Arsenal star said.

‘They’re not going to come out and play open football at Anfield when they’ve got a 1-0 lead, you’ve got to sit off a little bit. What do you expect them to do?

‘Some people will set up their teams differently in different situations; maybe at home they were a little more expansive, but away from home Diego Simeone has always set his teams up like that, hard to beat, get everyone behind the ball.

‘And they got through! I know they’ve got good quality as well, but they got the job done!

‘Liverpool had so many chances, too. Liverpool should really have gone through with the chances they had.

‘But Atletico got the job done.’

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