The clock showed 89.30 when Kieran Trippier’s corner bent into the penalty area and Héctor Herrera, a second-half substitute, leapt into the air to head the ball into the net. It was loud enough already, but somehow the sound reached another level. From 2-0 down, Atlético Madrid had come back to draw 2-2 with
Juventus, Diego Simeone screaming down on the touchline, supporters shouting all around him. It had been quite a way to start the European season – and it was almost taken from them, too, when
Cristiano Ronaldo flashed a shot just wide deep into injury time.
One hundred and 10 days later, the
Champions League returned to the Metropolitano. Only one player remained from the night that
Liverpool won their sixth European Cup here and the early signs were that Kieran Trippier might enjoy this night rather more than that one. Yes, he had Cristiano Ronaldo in front of him, but … well, that wasn’t entirely true: most of the time he had Ronaldo behind him. For all the cliches about Atlético, Trippier’s duties at his new club are far from solely defensive. Diego Simeone’s full-backs are pushed very high and very wide, sought out early and often.