Liverpool Need a Special Anfield Night Against Atletico - it Might Be the Last for a While

​In the post-match press conference after his side's 1-0 win over Liverpool at a buzzing Wanda Metropolitano on 18 February, Diego Simeone told of how Atletico Madrid 'started winning' when the team bus approached the roundabout outside the stadium and was met by a sea of fans turning the evening air red with flare smoke.

It was an impressive display that continued inside the ground - albeit without the flares - and was perhaps Atleti's first great truly night at their new home, which had struggled to measure up to the atmospheres of old at the Vicente Calderon.

Simeone relished it, orchestrating the crowd like a possessed conductor, gesticulating wildly to the stands from well beyond the confines of his technical area, seemingly able to turn up the decibel levels with a flick of his wrist.

Back in the press-conference, the ​Atleti boss was then asked about his thoughts on the return leg at Anfield and its own history of producing magical European nights.

"I'm not thinking about this. I'm not thinking about this," he said, before curtly getting up and exiting the room.

It was a response that left some of the English reporters in the room exchanging smirks and raising eyebrows.

Fair enough, that was Atleti's night and victory - their best of a limp season. However, now, three weeks on, it would be unrealistic to expect that thoughts on the power of Anfield have not crossed Simeone's mind.

​Liverpool's away record in Europe - not just this season but in recent years - ​has been a source of concern. However, at home, they have been nothing short of superb.

The Reds have not lost a home game in Europe since 2014 (when Brendan Rodgers' dismally rebuilt post-Suarez side were taken apart by Real Madrid). Since 2017/18, it is a record of played 15, won 11, drawn four.

In the league of course, Liverpool have not been beaten at Anfield since Sam Allardyce's Palace came to town in 2017 and could yet finish 2019/20 with a 100% record at home - something that has never been achieved in the Premier League.

It is said so often that it feels cliched and provokes exaggerated eye-rolls from rival supporters but it is true that Anfield has a habit of giving its home players something extra - especially on big European nights. Fabio Capello, when his Juventus came to visit in 2005, called it an 'electric shock'.

Liverpool will need that shock therapy again on Wednesday.

So far this season, the Reds have been relentless in their pursuit of their number one target (the Premier League) but, perhaps aided by the lack of real competition, the campaign has lacked those big individual occasions - the sort that littered the 2017/18 and 2018/19 campaigns.

The November victory over Man City and its opening 15 minutes stand out, as goals from Fabinho and Mohamed Salah saw the champions destroyed, as does the Boxing Day demolition of Leicester when Trent Alexander-Arnold ran riot. The late shows against Villa and Wolves were both important, while Curtis Jones' strike against Everton was great fun for many reasons. 

There are also enough records and stats to fill books but, in truth, it's been a slightly odd domestic campaign for Reds fans who waited so long for a title only to see it now ushered in without much of a fight. It's no less significant, impressive, or even enjoyable for fans, but just perhaps without some element of drama; an electric shock.

For the first time in months, as Atletico Madrid - Simeone's hard-running, defensive dark-arts specialists - ​come to town, Liverpool really need a result and a reaction from the Anfield crowd.

The stadium was built on and for nights like this and - as Manchester City, Barcelona and many others can attest - whether or not you want to think about it, ​the atmosphere is a factor. 

As the precautions against the spread of the coronavirus risk continue to filter into the world of sport, there is also the very real and increasing possibility that more European games after Wednesday ​could be played behind closed doors or even postponed.

What happens to Liverpool's title charge in the event that more games are affected is unknown. However, with everything up in the air and health (rightly) taking priority over football matters, the Champions League round of 16 second-leg may then be the last chance (for a little while at least) for Liverpool fans to enjoy a special, potentially season-making European night at Anfield - to provide that 'electric shock' and give Simeone something to think about.