Anfield’s 12th man awaits Atletico Madrid: Neil Humphreys
Simeone will find gamesmanship harder at Liverpool's fortress in 2nd leg
The greatest conductor in world football won't be able to get the same tune from a Merseyside orchestra.
Diego Simeone is the highest-paid manager in the game because he isn't really a manager. He's an ingenious rabble-rouser that turns up the volume to drown out Atletico Madrid's shortcomings.
At the Wanda Metropolitano yesterday morning (Singapore time), he turned the 12th man into a Herculean wall of noise, enabling the Spanish side to take a 1-0 lead in the Champions League last-16, first-leg tie.
But Anfield awaits.
The Anfield that inspired four miraculous goals against Barcelona last season, the Anfield that saw off AS Roma and Manchester City two seasons ago and continues to defy Champions League odds as a matter of routine.
But it won't be easy.
The brightest night in Liverpool will be required to defeat the darkest knight in Madrid.
In the first leg, Simeone pushed the dark arts to the very brink of gamesmanship in his meticulous, almost Machiavellian, pursuit of victory.
Whether he crossed the line or not probably depends on the colour of your jersey, but Juergen Klopp was so irritated with his rival's antics that he earned himself a booking for dissent.
Klopp's anger was understandable. He got played.
This wasn't the entitled tantrum of a regular winner, but a vanquished champion struggling to comprehend how he got played so easily, so predictably.
When it comes to skirting the fringes of the game's legalities, Simeone makes Darth Vader look like a boy scout.
Every petty infringement, sly elbow or ankle tap is considered fair game. Once an early lead is established, time can never be wasted enough.
And it drove Klopp to distraction. In terms of touchline histrionics, the German said he was only at level four, compared to Simeone's 12, but even that generous score does the Argentine a disservice.
Simeone essentially controlled every facet of the contest, even exalting the fans for indulging his love of gamesmanship way before kick-off.
He insisted the game was won as soon as the team bus arrived outside the Wanda Metropolitano and faced a sea of flares and flags.
Inside, the volcanic atmosphere was as intense for the hosts as it was hostile for the visitors, with Simeone acting as a human seismometer, constantly measuring the eruptions and demanding more.
He got under Liverpool's skin. And his players did likewise, which wasn't unexpected.
The surprising element was how easily the Reds succumbed to the incessant goading. They fell like flaky, temperamental dominoes.
MENTAL GAME
Sadio Mane was the first to go. The moment he was booked for his overeager attempt to push past Sime Vrsaljko, Atletico's hornets swarmed.
Angel Correa buzzed at him first. Others soon joined in until Klopp intervened, replacing Mane at the interval.
Mohamed Salah was similarly pestered until he, too, was removed after a night of near anonymity.
Whenever Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson were in possession, they were quickly surrounded, forcing them to make uncharacteristic mistakes.
Cooler heads must prevail in the second leg.
Simeone has never apologised for his rudimentary tactics and nor should he. In a La Liga landscape dominated by Barcelona and Real Madrid, his Atletico remain competitive with a regimented 4-4-2 of drilled disciples.
He manipulated every advantage at his disposal inside the Wanda Metropolitano. At one point, he turned into a ball boy at a tennis Grand Slam, throwing away one football on the touchline in favour of another.
He couldn't care less about the football. There were precious seconds to waste.
And the deafening crowd roared its approval, buying in to Simeone's sense of destiny.
Atletico always win at home in the Champions League.
They haven't even conceded in 11 of their last 12 knockout games in Madrid.
Simeone had the supporters in the palm of his hand and Liverpool's players and staff in his pocket. Even the officials were seemingly coaxed into awarding soft free-kicks for the hosts.
To win a game against superior opposition, Simeone needs to own the occasion.
It's a neat trick to pull off at home. It'll be a miracle if he does it again on Merseyside.
Simeone will park the bus, pump the fists, incite the away end, hound the men in black and chase down anyone in red.
The Argentine will relish the opportunity to take a shot at Fortress Anfield.
But he won't have the numbers. The 12th man belongs to Klopp now, along with the conductor's baton. The Liverpool manager should make the most of both to overturn the unexpected deficit.
Simeone can bring the dark arts. But Anfield will bring the noise.
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