3 reasons why Atletico Madrid could eliminate Liverpool in the Round of 16

The UEFA Champions League 2019-20 Round of 16 draw was held at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon on Monday. The fans will have a number of mouth-watering clashes to look forward to, as Manchester City will face Real Madrid, Barcelona will be up against Napoli and Chelsea will look to eliminate Bayern Munich in the Round of 16.

Defending champions Liverpool will face Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid, with the first leg slated to be played at the Wanda Metropolitano on 18th February, and the second leg on 12th March at Anfield. The fixture brings together two teams that have seen success in European competition over the last 3 seasons, with the Reds winning the Champion League last season while Atletico Madrid had been crowned as Europa League champions for the 2017-18 season.

Diego Simeone's emphasis on defending as a team makes this contest one of the trickiest for Jurgen Klopp and his men. The Argentine's tactics are the reason why the Los Rojiblancos successfully qualified for the Round of 16 despite losing players like Antoine Griezmann and Diego Godin in the last year or so.

Keeping that in mind, let's take a look at the 3 reasons why Atletico Madrid will be able to eliminate Liverpool from the UEFA Champions League 2019-20 Round of 16.

3. Liverpool's Premier League focus and fixture congestion

Liverpool are soaring high in the Premier League

Liverpool currently sit at the top of the Premier league table with a 10 points lead over second-placed Leicester City. Having lost the league by a point last season, there is a common consensus among the Reds' supporters that being crowned as the champions of England is the priority this season.

Despite the fans' expectations, Jurgen Klopp is known for balancing his efforts in the Champions League and the Premier League. While this is true, the European champions' injury list and upcoming fixtures might force the German to choose between the two competitions. On the other hand, Diego Simeone has ample time for scheming plans and be sure that the players are fresh going into the first leg.

The Reds are currently going through the full force of festive period fixtures which includes matches in Club World Cup, League cup and Premier League fixtures. The first leg in the Round of 16 will be played in February 2020. Liverpool would've already played Tottenham, Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wolves in a month by that time along with other Premier League fixtures against relatively small sides.

Dejan Lovren, Fabinho, Gini Wijnaldum and Joel Matip are all out with injuries and the chances of players getting injured will only increase going into the new year if the number of fixtures are taken into consideration.

In comparison to Liverpool's 11 fixtures, Atletico Madrid will only play 8 fixtures up to the first leg. In addition to that, there are chances that some of Los Rojiblancos' La Liga fixtures getting postponed due to the Champions League and that might give an advantage to the Spanish side.

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2. Atletico Madrid's defensive strengths

Diego Simeone will want his defenders to be on top

Atletico Madrid lost Diego Godin to Inter Milan in the 2019 summer transfer window, and the team has lost some defensive resiliency from that point on. Despite the loss of individual talent, the Los Rojiblancos still have Diego Simeone and his masterful tactics which gives them a great chance to qualify for the quarter-finals.

The Spanish side has adapted well and defended as a team this season. This was evident in the game against Juventus, where the Italian side had no chance of attacking through the Atletico Madrid midfield. Against a similar 4-4-2 formation, Liverpool will find it hard to break down their defence. The European champions came up against that style of play against Napoli and were unsuccessful in getting the 3 points in the group stage.

Stopping Liverpool by letting them have the possession is easier as compared to defending them on the counter-attacks. Diego Simeone's off-the-ball pressure tactics will ensure that the attacking threat through the English side's full-backs is minimized. Even if the midfielders and the full-backs are neutralized, the Spanish side will have to ensure that the long balls from Liverpool's center backs and midfielders are kept in check if they hope to keep a clean sheet, especially at Anfield.

1. Liverpool's defensive fragilities

Liverpool's defenders haven't been at their best

To win the tie over two legs, it is imperative that Atletico Madrid get a respectable result at Anfield. The big teams that have come to Anfield in the past 2 seasons have made the mistake of keeping the ball and allowing the Reds play on the counter. Whereas, Atletico Madrid's natural style is to play on the counter and Diego Simeone would not be looking to change that.

It is safe to say that Liverpool will have the ball at Anfield in the second leg and that might result in a high defensive line once again. If the Los Rojiblancos will be able to win the ball in midfield, they have players like Joao Felix, Deigo Costa and Alvaro Morata who can run in behind the defence and cause the European champions some problems to deal with at the back and trouble Virgil van Dijk and co.

Furthermore, Liverpool haven't kept a single clean sheet at Anfield throughout the group stage. As evidenced from the matches throughout the season, Atletico Madrid will get some really good opportunities to score at Anfield and the Wanda Metropolitano and converting those chances will be crucial for the Spanish side.