Daniel Rouse, Michael J. Chandler

2h ago

Getty Images

Not since 2008 has Liverpool progressed to the Champions League knockout stage, and by virtue of Wednesday’s 7-0 drubbing of Spartak Moscow, Jurgen Klopp’s charges joined an esteemed class of sides to make the last 16.

When Rafa Benitez led the Reds to a group stage conquest over Atletico Madrid, Marseille, and PSV in 2008-09, it bookended a five-year spell of continental success for the club that included the stunning come-from-behind victory over AC Milan in the final and a corresponding defeat to I Rossoneri two years later.

Looking back at those squads, Liverpool was a balanced and organised side that profitted from equal parts resolute defending and strong midfield play. What those iterations of the club boasted in defence, Klopp’s current lot offers in offence, with a lethal combination of pace and trickery highlighting a team that counter-attacks at breakneck speed.

Now that Klopp and Co. have ended a a nine-year wait for Champions League progression, here’s a composite starting XI from this year’s entry and the sides that enjoyed European success in 2008-09.

The lineup

Bench: Simon Mignolet; Martin Skrtel, Sami Hyypia; Philippe Coutinho, Adam Lallana; Roberto Firmino, Dirk Kuyt

Goalkeeper

If Mignolet and Loris Karius have produced erratic performances and provoked continual worry, current Napoli shot-stopper Pepe Reina was a symbol of consistency. During his eight-year Merseyside tenure, Reina made 86 continental appearances, missing out on Jerzy Dudek’s display in the miracle in Istanbul by a year.

Defenders

While Joel Matip has shown flashes of brilliance with Liverpool, it’s not enough to make this hypothetical squad, where Daniel Agger and Jamie Carragher instead team up as a ball-stopping centre-half pairing. Fabio Aurelio and Alvaro Arbeloa sandwich the central defenders with a blend of old-school, studs-up defending and the penchant for streaking forward that’s common in the modern game.

Midfielders

Xabi Alonso. Javier Mascherano. Steven Gerrard. There’s a reason this three-man Liverpool midfield was about as easy to break down as a retaining wall with deeply dug foundations. This trio had a little bit of everything: Mascherano’s ball-stopping skills were world-class, Stevie G could string a delicate pass while blasting measured shots from distance, and there was no midfielder more adept at stringing a long ball than Alonso.

Forwards

Before Chelsea-era Fernando Torres became the poster boy for failures in the absence of confidence, Liverpool goal machine Fernando Torres was one of Europe’s most clinical finishers. Pairing the Spaniard with star wingers Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah would form an unplayable trio in attack that could score any number of ways.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

John Elway said Tuesday that he’s “embarrassed” by the Denver Broncos’ performance this season but he won’t make any in-season coaching changes.

“We’re gonna finish the season out and, you know, obviously we know the expectations of the Denver Broncos,” Elway, president of football operations and general manager for the Broncos, said in a radio interview with Orange & Blue 760. “And this has been a tough year. It’s not what the Broncos are about. I’m embarrassed about it, the fact that this has happened, and will do my part to hopefully get this thing turned around next year, and the expectations of Broncos fans should be for us to get this turned around.”

The Broncos are 3-9 in Vance Joseph’s first season as coach and have lost eight straight games. The losing streak is the franchise’s longest since 1967.

Joseph fired offensive coordinator Mike McCoy last month, and the team has started three different quarterbacks this season.

Trevor Siemian, who was benched last month, regained the starting spot last week after 2016 first-round pick Paxton Lynch suffered an ankle injury in his only start this season. Brock Osweiler also briefly started this season but was benched due to ineffectiveness.

It’s been an odd season for Atletico Madrid. Unbeaten in La Liga and now eliminated from the Champions League, the Spanish side has flipped-flopped between good and bad.

Manager Diego Simeone found it “difficult to explain” the paradox after Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea – a match Atletico had to win to give itself a chance of reaching the knockout phase. Somehow, his players were able to take four points away from eventual Group C winner Roma, but only two from bottom-feeder Qarabag.

In the end, Atletico was simply too wasteful to advance, producing a horrific shot conversion rate of 4.7 percent in Europe. Simeone’s men had their biggest problems against newcomer Qarabag, scoring just once from 46 shots against the Azerbaijani outfit. A team that depends so much on one-goal victories cannot afford to be that profligate.

It’s clear Atletico’s in a state of flux. Amid claims that Antoine Griezmann may have already checked out, the club has struggled to score on a regular basis. Griezmann’s been asked to play as a traditional No. 9, even though that’s not what he is; as one of the best two-way forwards in world football, his strength is his mobility, not his static poaching ability.

But at the moment, there’s little reprieve. With Fernando Torres nearing the end of his career, Kevin Gameiro out of favour, and both Diego Costa and Vitolo barred from competing until the club’s transfer ban expires, a changing of the guard is waiting to happen.

It’s not so much the end of an era, but instead more of a transition from one to another. By signing a contract extension until 2020, Simeone dispelled any lingering doubts that he no longer has anything to give Atletico. He’s already handed starts to 21-year-old Lucas Hernandez, 22-year-old Angel Correa, and 24-year-old Thomas Partey, while slowly removing stalwarts Gabi, Juanfran, and Diego Godin from the forefront.

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

In a system that demands high intensity and constant pressing, it’s difficult to rely on the same players year after year. And many of Simeone’s favourites are now in their 30s.

The move to the new Wanda Metropolitano also raised expectations. Under the brighter lights, perhaps there’s a burden to do more than just eke out results. Yet, that’s what Atletico has done so well under Simeone – pragmatic football that involves winning second balls, dispossessing opponents, and defending in lines of four made the manager’s teams successful. In a bigger stadium, however, Atletico’s brand of football may no longer be good enough.

What cannot be lost is that this team hasn’t given up. The odds were against Atletico as it travelled to London this week, yet the club took the initiative and controlled the play in a positive away performance.

“We looked for it until the end,” Simeone said, courtesy of ESPN FC’s Dermot Corrigan. “I am proud of the team. We worked hard, were competitive. We just tried to do what we could do in the game. … For sure it was a step forward for the team.”

And it really isn’t all that bad. Atletico is only six points behind the La Liga leader, has conceded the fewest goals of any team across the top-five European leagues, and now enters the Europa League as one of the favourites to win it all.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott disputed Monday’s comments by Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly that Bills players did not adequately come to the defense of cornerback Tre’Davious White after he took an illegal hit Sunday from New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski.

The NFL suspended Gronkowski one game for the hit. He will appeal the penalty, a source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

Kelly told Buffalo radio station 97 Rock on Monday that it “surprised him” that Bills players “did not retaliate” for the fourth-quarter hit, which landed White in the concussion protocol and resulted in Gronkowski’s being flagged for unnecessary roughness.

“We had three guys standing there,” Kelly said. “When you see a shot like that — if I’m the coach, yeah, you want to play smart, you don’t want to play dirty, you don’t want to get that penalty and all that. But boy, when you see something like that, and it happens right in front of you — me as a quarterback, I might have ran over and gave him a good shot.

“Yeah, I might have got a penalty for it, too. But I remember back in the day … anytime anybody did something like — whether it was me or [former Bills running back] Thurman [Thomas] or anybody — we were right there. [Former Bills coach] Marv [Levy] always said, ‘Don’t play dumb, don’t play dirty.’ But the thing is, you want to come to the defense of your boys. I guess they didn’t want to get a penalty also.”

Gronkowski dove and drove his left arm into the back of White’s helmet as the rookie cornerback lay face-first on the ground to secure the ball after intercepting Tom Brady late in New England’s 23-3 win.