If you're looking for a moment to sum-up Liverpool's 1-0 loss last night, look to the on-screen graphic when the home side kicked off for the second half, confirming that Divock Origi would replace Sadio Mane.

The devastating attacker was sacrificed after picking up a yellow card amid general Atletico Madrid provocation.

Klopp's loss

In that mini-battle, Jurgen Klopp blinked fearing that one of his most important players would pick-up a second yellow card.

“He was targeted,” the Liverpool boss reflected after the defeat.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp reacts after the final whistle during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg match at Wanda Metropolitano, Madrid.

“It is obviously a part of football that I don’t like [...] The plan tonight was to get Sadio out of the game with a second yellow card.

"I was afraid that Sadio’s opponent would go down if he took a deep breath on him or something. I don’t want to have this situation and that is why I took him off,” he continued.

Liverpool's FC Sadio Mane during UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg football match Atletico de Madrid v Liverpool FC at Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, Spain. February Tuesday 18, 2020. Photo by Manu R.B/AlterPhotos/ABACAPRESS.COM

If the German is right and the Spanish club had set out to target his player and get him dismissed, getting him voluntarily withdrawn by Klopp for a quarter of the two-legged tie is a massive 'win' for that tactic.

If Klopp is correct, then Liverpool forwent the chance of Mane scoring an away goal while Liverpool struggled to find a response to the challenge posed by Atletico - because Atletico did not want him to be in the game.

As Diego Simeone prowled the touchline summoning the Wanda Metropolitano faithful to their feet it was the bemused Klopp who picked up a yellow in his technical area.

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone gestures on the touchline during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg match at Wanda Metropolitano, Madrid.

Liverpool failed to muster a shot on target during the 90 minutes, while Atletico did what Atletico do and mounted an impassioned rear-guard action.

The hosts successfully frustrated the Premier League leaders with their familiar mix of physical confrontation and play-acting.

Andy Robertson also highlighted what he saw as cynical tactics from the La Liga side:

“They were falling over easy but we got on with it and we are better than that. It was a decent performance but we have a second leg to put it right. They celebrated as if they had won the tie."

Liverpool's FC Andy Robertson during UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg football match Atletico de Madrid v Liverpool FC at Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, Spain. February Tuesday 18, 2020. Photo by Manu R.B/AlterPhotos/ABACAPRESS.COM

Liverpool's Van Dijk made similar observations, complaining that at "every touch," players were going down and constantly trying to "wind up" him and his teammates.

"We know what to expect [...] Sometimes it is difficult to keep the emotions but we had to deal with it. We have to be prepared, but at Anfield, it could be a completely different game,” he said in the aftermath.

February 18, 2020, Madrid, Madrid, Spain: Virgil Van Dijk during Atlético de Madrid vs Liverpool match. Full entrance for the Atlético de Madrid vs Liverpool, whit victory of Atlético de Madrid for 1 to 0 whit a goal of Saúl Ñiguez in 5 minute. (Credit Image: © Jorge Gonzalez/Pacific Press via ZUMA Wire)

Takeaways

While all parties mentioned above said Liverpool are ready to regroup and to welcome Atletico to a raucous Anfield next month - what happens if Atletico amp-up their cynical tactics?

Klopp won't have the luxury of taking players off to save them for another night.

Atletico Madrid's Saul, second from right, celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during a first leg, round of 16, Champions League soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Liverpool at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday Feb. 18, 2020. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Simeone's side came into last night's match capped in uncertainty, in the middle of an injury crisis, in yoyo form, amid talk of a season of transitional decline.

They go into the second leg armed with a lead to protect, institutional mastery of football's dark arts - alongside the threat of bagging an away goal sucker-punch. They face a Liverpool side with questions to answer for the first time since last year's Champions League final.

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