Diogo Jota and Sadio Mane send Liverpool into knockouts with comfortable win over 10-man Atletico Madrid

Goals from Diogo Jota and Sadio Mane gave Liverpool a comfortable victory over Atletico Madrid which sees them qualify for the Champions League knockout stage.

Both goals came from a Trent Alexander-Arnold assist, the first from a typically impossible-to-defend curling ball behind the defence which Jota stooped to nod home, and then Mane nudged the defender’s powerful low drive beyond Jan Oblak.

Any hope Diego Simeone's side had of coming back into the game was effectively extinguished when Felipe was sent off for clipping Mane with studs on his Achilles and then refusing to acquiesce to the referee's requests to receive censure for this.

Jota thought he had scored a second when he was given the freedom of Anfield to slot past Oblak but he was just offside, as was Jose Maria Giminez at the other end just before Luis Suarez's long-range volley deflected off Joel Matip and past Alisson.

The final score was not a reflection of the game though which Liverpool dominated and if Mohammed Salah was in his best form in front of goal he might have snared another hat-trick.

Liverpool have 12 points from their four Champions League matches while Atletico have four points, one behind Porto who they play in the final game of the group.

You run out of superlatives to discuss the Liverpool full back's delivery from the right flank. Two deliveries from the right settled the game with not even a quarter of the game played. If it was any other player you may have thought he was shooting for Mane's goal given the pace he drove the ball but he has earned the benefit of the doubt to assume he figured this was the only way to get the ball back to Mane - who started the move and drove into the box looking, nay expecting - to be found.

At worst, it was a cross-shot knowing the possibility of a striker converting his shot. His oft-criticised defensive work was also strong. Often allowing the forward to be goalside of him in early stages of a move, his speed enabled him to get back to make clearances and interceptions, particularly nullifying Joao Felix.

There cannot have been many more dangerous right flanks than Alexander-Arnold and Salah. The Brazilian World Cup pair of Djalma Santos and Garrincha from the 1958 and 1962 World Cup have their claims, as do the Brazil 1970 duo of Carlos Alberto and Jairzinho. More recently Lionel Messi and Dani Alves linked up superbly for Barcelona. After that it becomes more difficult.

If we extend it to the left flank, Roberto Carlos and Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid caused palpitations for any opponents, as did Rudi Krol and Johan Cruyff for Ajax and Holland and Robert Pires and Thierry Henry at Arsenal. This is the rarefied air these two are in. It is hard to believe there can be a worse choice in football between Alexander-Arnold crossing the ball into your box or Salah running at you.

Liverpool: Alisson 6, Alexander-Arnold 9*, Matip 8, Van Dijk 7, Tsimikas 7, Oxlade-Chamberlain 8, Henderson 6, Fabinho 6; Salah 7, Jota 7, Mane 8.

Subs: Firmino 6, Thiago 5, Origi 6, Minamino 6, Phillips 6.

Atletico Madrid: Oblak 7; Trippier 6, Felipe 4, Giminez 5, Hermoso 5; Koke 6, De Paul 7, Correa 7, Carrasco 5; Felix 5, Suarez 6.

Subs: Lodi 6, Herrera 6, Cunha 6, Vrsaljko 6, Serrano 6.

13' GOAL FOR LIVERPOOL! Jota stoops to head home from inside the six-yard box but this was all about the ball from Trent Alexander-Arnold whipping the ball behind the Atletico defence and on a plate for the former Wolves man.

21' GOAL FOR LIVERPOOL! Mane slots home from close range and it's another assist from Alexander-Arnold. Mane shrugged off de Paul in the centre of the field then squared to Henderson, he passed to Arnold who immediately drove the ball behind the defence and Mane had run on to divert the ball home.

37' RED CARD for Felipe. He tripped Mane, the referee asked him to come towards him and the Atletico player refused on three occasions, so the ref gave him a red card.

48' GOAL CANCELLED! This was so easy. A second for Jota. He was all on his own in the centre of the field and he controls Matip's ball through and then slots past Oblak. But he is ruled offside. Kieran Trippier very relieved, he was inches from playing him on.

57' GOAL FOR ATLETICO! Suarez, it had to be him, aims a volley from 25 yards out which deflects off Matip and into the net. The goal is disallowed for offside from Giminez earlier in the move though.