Atlético Madrid midfielder Marcos Llorente has admitted that even in his ‘wildest dreams’ he didn’t imagine he’d score two goals to knock Liverpool out of the Champions League.
Llorente was the hero of the hour when the two sides met in the second leg of their Champions League last 16 meeting at Anfield in March.
Llorente’s two goals, in the 97th and 106th minutes, cancelled out earlier strikes from Georginio Wijnaldum and Roberto Firmino, handing Atlético two away goals and the advantage in the tie.
The strikes came as a complete surprise to many, notably as he’d only managed six goals in the entirety of his career before then.
Llorente was among those who didn’t see it coming, admitting even his wildest dreams didn’t see himself as the man to knock out Liverpool.
“Not in my wildest dreams,” he revealed to comedian David Broncano, relayed by Estadio Deportivo.
“They scored similar goals, from outside the area, at the same post.
“They started to attack and attack, with the first goal we said ‘this is getting away from us’ and with the second we thought that we had no choice but to go forward, and we found the two goals that gave us life.”
The critical moment in the game was undoubtedly the mistake from Liverpool goalkeeper Adrian, who inexplicably gave the ball to Llorente to score his first goal.
That error turned the game on its head, handing Atlético a goal that they had previously looked unlikely to score.
Llorente was the beneficiary, and he admits that goal, and his second, came about as a result of pure instinct.
“In the first goal I start driving, and I lose the ball, I decide to squeeze the goalkeeper,” he added.
“The goalkeeper is the one who ends up giving it away; we attack and score. And in the second one, we leave Morata, and I shot.
“When Morata gives it to me I control it; I look back, I see that nobody comes and I play it.”
