Alvaro Morata: Liverpool Still Among UCL Favourites After Atletico Madrid Loss

Atletico Madrid forward Alvaro Morata believes Liverpool remain among the UEFA Champions League favourites even after Tuesday's defeat, and he would rather avoid another date with former club Juventus.

The Rojiblancos beat the defending champions 1-0 in the first leg of their round-of-16 tie, and after the match, Morata was asked about his favourite for the title.

Per Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia), he named the Reds, Juve and Paris Saint-Germain, who also lost on Tuesday: "I think Liverpool and Juve are the best. I prefer not to meet them [Juventus] again in the Champions League. I think the Bianconeri, Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain are the favourites. But nothing is for certain in the Champions League."

Saul Niguez scored the only goal of Tuesday's match from an early corner (UK/U.S. only):

Atletico―who came into the match with just one win in their last five La Liga matches―shut up shop after the early lead, resorting to a defensive game plan that limited space for Liverpool's prolific attack.

It worked to perfection, leaving the Reds with no answers:

The tie is far from over, however. Atletico managed just one goal themselves, giving them a slender lead ahead of the second leg at Anfield. Liverpool's home ground has been a fortress for them, and last year, it was the scene of the remarkable comeback against Barcelona.

After a 3-0 defeat at the Camp Nou, the Premier League giants beat Lionel Messi and his team-mates 4-0 at home on their way to the title.

Atletico were also on the end of a tremendous comeback last season. Serie A champions Juventus lost 2-0 in the Spanish capital but completed a comeback with a 3-0 win at home:

Morata had his chances against his former club in that match, but there was no stopping Cristiano Ronaldo.

The two teams were grouped together in the 2019-20 campaign. The Bianconeri earned a 2-2 draw in Madrid before winning 1-0 at home on their way to first place in Group D, ahead of Atletico. They'll face Lyon in the round of 16.

PSG have exited the tournament in the round of 16 in three straight years and lost to Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday. Rising star Erling Haaland netted twice for the hosts either side of a Neymar strike for the Ligue 1 giants.