Football news - Diego Simeone praises Atletico Madrid fans after win over Liverpool

The Spanish side go to Anfield with a slender advantage after Saul Niguez scored the only goal of the game.

However, Simeone praised the atmosphere in the Wanda Metropolitano as crucial to the win.

He said: "We started to win the match when we were on the bus and saw the fans cheering, excited, fearless.

"Of the eight years I've been here, I can remember few times where we had as good an atmosphere as we had tonight. It was truly exciting. These are the nights fans don't ever forget."

Simeone's men have looked nothing like the sides that reached the 2014 and 2016 Champions League finals and challenged Real Madrid and Barcelona's duopoly of La Liga for most of this campaign. They trail league leaders Real by 13 points.

But on Tuesday they produced a vintage defensive display, sitting deep and barely giving Liverpool any space for their attacking trident of Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane to work their usual magic.

"This is the result of hard work and what happens when you never stop believing but keep on going," match-winner Saul told reporters.

"We have kept on working even though no-one believes in us and wants to bring us down. I celebrated the goal with so much passion because I was so up for the game, we have been criticised a lot but luckily I was able to help us out."