Liverpool 1-1 Atletico AS IT HAPPENED: Firmino nets but Reds lose Audi Cup on penalties

Night!

22:00: Thanks for joining me folks. Obviously Liverpool didn't manage to lift the Audi Cup tonight, but it was another solid display from Jurgen Klopp's side.

21:45: Elsewhere Liverpool have discovered their potential Champions League play-off opponents.

Jurgen Klopp's side could face Nice, Hoffenheim, Steaua Bucharest, Young Boys or Istanbul BB.

Let the Mario Balotelli stories begin...

ATLETICO MADRID HAVE WON THE AUDI CUP 2017

LIVERPOOL 4 - 5 ATLETICO MADRID LUIS SCORES

IF ATLETICO SCORE, THEY WILL WIN THE AUDI CUP

LIVERPOOL 4 - 4 ATLETICO MADRID* - GRUJIC SCORES

LIVERPOOL MUST SCORE THIS TO STAY IN THIS

*LIVERPOOL 3 - 4 ATLETICO MADRID - GAITAN SCORES

LIVERPOOL 3 - 3 ATLETICO MADRID* - KENT SCORES

*LIVERPOOL 2 - 3 ATLETICO MADRID - GABI SCORES

LIVERPOOL 2 - 2 ATLETICO MADRID* - ORIGI SCORES

*LIVERPOOL 1 - 2 ATLETICO MADRID - TORRES SCORES

LIVERPOOL 1 - 1 ATLETICO MADRID* - HENDERSON MISSES

*LIVERPOOL 1 - 1 ATLETICO MADRID - GRIEZMANN SCORES

LIVERPOOL 1 - 0 ATLETICO MADRID* - FIRMINO SCORES

Liverpool have won the toss and decide to take first. Here we go...

FT: LIVERPOOL 1 - 1 ATLETICO MADRID

It's time for penalties folks! Who's going to win the coveted Audi Cup?! I can barely contain my excitement...

90: Crucial save from Danny Ward! Lucas rises highest to Gaitan's corner but a fingertip save from Liverpool's No.3 is enough to deny him.

87: Penalties are looking increasingly likely folks. The game's being played at a walking pace.

82: LIVERPOOL 1 - 1 ATLETICO MADRID - ROBERTO FIRMINO

Liverpool are back in the game! Divock Origi is tripped (slightly) and the Belgian goes down to win the penalty.

Roberto Firmino steps up… bang! The Brazilian calmly strokes it into the bottom corner.

Remember folks, we'll have penalties if this finishes in a draw.

79: Close! Marko Grujic receives a flicked pass from Firmino and sends a fierce strike sailing over the bar.

75: Five changes for Atletico including Anfield legend Fernando Torres. He receives a nice round of applause. Also on for Atletico are also on.

68: Nope, still not clicking for Liverpool. Andrew Robertson is being a little cautious down the flank. I'd imagine James Milner will get the nod against Watford next week.

64: Decent penalty shout. Ryan Kent plays it short to Dominic Solanke, who looked to have been pulled back inside the area. Referee wasn't interested.

Jurgen Klopp makes a couple more changes with Solanke and Wijnaldum making way for Ejaria and Origi.

58: Hmmmm, after yesterday's victory I filled my Fantasy Football team with Liverpool players - but I think I was too hasty. Klopp's substitutes don't appear to have changed things much.

55: Diego Simeone is showing faith with his young side. No changes at the break with Antoine Griezmann still warming the bench. Pssst: I think the Frenchman has dyed his hair...

52: Roberto Firmino is operating on the left flank, can't imagine he'll be there too often this season. Andrew Robertson delivers a looping cross into the area but nobody's there to challenge.

48: It'll be interesting to see how new signing Andrew Robertson performs tonight. He got 45-minutes against Hertha over the weekend, and will hope to kick on tonight.

Jordan Henderson plays a lovely incisive ball to Solanke, who's shot is blocked for a corner. The skipper takes but Atletico scramble away Klavan's header.

45: LIVERPOOL 0 - 1 ATLETICO MADRID

Jurgen Klopp has made six changes at the break. He's brought on Firmino, Henderson, Grujic, Robertson, Matip and Kent. They replace Milner, Mane, Lallana, Can, Flanagan and Woodburn. We're back underway.

HT: Updates from our reporter Chris McKenna, at the Allianz Arena.

The Audi Cup might be a good idea to get some of Europe’s top teams together in pre-season but why not have a night off between the semi-finals and finals?

Both Liverpool and Atletico Madrid have played second string sides and the game has suffered because of that.

While last night’s clash between the Reds and Bayern Munich had some competitiveness, this has none.

And the fans who have coughed up cash for this must be disappointed.

HT: LIVERPOOL 0 - 1 ATLETICO MADRID - pretty dreadful encounter.

42: Lallana finds Mane with a decent through ball but he's quickly crowded out. Liverpool really missing Coutinho, Firmino and Salah.... and the other six who blew Bayern Munich away last night!

40: Updates from our reporter Chris McKenna, at the Allianz Arena.

Atletico probably just about deserve their lead in what has been a poor game so far.

It may be a pre-season tournament, but Diego Simeone is not taking it lightly.

The Atletico boss celebrated that opener as if it was a crucial goal in a Champions League final. Maybe the Audi Cup means more to some.

34: LIVERPOOL 0 - 1 ATLETICO MADRID - BARE

You have to feel sorry for Danny Ward here. The goalkeeper made a terrific save to deny Atletico's initial shot, but 19-year-old Keidi Bare is free to nod home the rebound.

A few Liverpool defenders caught ball-watching there.

27: Atletico are starting to get their foot on the ball more, but they haven't done much with it. Sadio Mane and James Milner collect yellow cards for a couple of needless fouls, and there's a Mexican Wave in the Allianz Arena...

20: Updates from our reporter Chris McKenna, at the Allianz Arena.

Quite an uneventful start here in Munich on a hot and sticky night in the German city.

Liverpool’s changes mean they haven’t got the same zip about them as last night when they thrashed Bayern Munich.

It is a big night for some of these fringe players to show they deserve a chance in Klopp’s regular starting side.

15: Liverpool were 1-0 up by this point last night. I guess this is what nine changes does to the fluency. Ben Woodburn slices a volley wide of the post.

11: Dominic Solanke glances a header narrowly wide. He's not short of confidence this lad, but that's about as exciting as this has been.

7: Joe Gomez has got away with a howler there. He passed it straight to Correa, whose first touch was equally dreadful. Quite a slow start here at the Allianz Arena.

4: Anyone who put an accumulator on this match earlier will be hiding behind the couch. Atletico Madrid have made 11 changes, while Liverpool made nine. This could go either way!

1: LIVERPOOL 0 - 0 ATLETICO MADRID

We're underway folks. Liverpool are playing in their traditional red while Atletico are sporting a very garish yellow jersey. 

19:25: I said earlier that the Neymar transfer didn't particularly concern Liverpool, but alas, I was wrong.

Barcelona will be looking far and wide for a replacement, South American football expert Tim Vickery thinks Coutinho would be ideal.

Vickery told Sky Sports News: "Absolutely. When Barcelona were interested in Coutinho previously I saw speculation suggesting they saw him as a possible replacement for Andres Iniesta.

"I have never seen that. I have always seen Coutinho as a Neymar replacement. Coutinho's problem with the Brazil national team is his favourite position is Neymar's position, wide on the left cutting onto his right foot. 

"They have since found space for him on the right but that's his favoured position."

19:20: Philipe Coutinho, Alberto Moreno and Pepe Reina have a quick chat. "Ooooh, football fweeends…"

19:10: Southampton legend Matt le Tissier has waded into the row over Virgil van Dijk.

Liverpool remain keen to sign the centre-back, who wants to leave St Mary’s to sign on at Anfield.

Le Tissier is fuming at Van Dijk’s behaviour and he says the defender has been “unprofessional”.

He said: "It’s been going on long enough, and he’s still here."He still wants to be on his own and to be honest, that’s pretty unprofessional.

"It’s a shame. It doesn’t look very good on the player, he’s got five years left and the only way he can be sold is if the club accept an offer for him – that hasn’t happened, so you have to get on with your job.”

19:05: Atletico Madrid XI: Moya, Vrsaljko, Gimenez, Lucas, Sergi, Kranevitter, Augusto, Thomas, Keidi, Correa, Vietto.

Subs: Werner, Savic, Juanfran, Filipe, Gabi, Gaitan, Torres, Griezmann, Olabe, Amath.

19:00: Some breaking transfer news for you folks. I'm sorry that it doesn't concern your club, but I think you'll want to hear this.

Sky Sports claim Neymar has agreed a five-year deal with Paris Saint-Germain and is due in Paris within the next two days for a medical.

Guess how much they're going to pay him? £515,000-a-week after tax. Wish I was a footballer...

18:55: Blimey, things aren't looking good for Carlo Ancelotti.

Less than 24 hours after taking a spanking from Liverpool, they've been beaten 2-0 by Napoli on their own turf.

There were jeers all around the Allianz Arena from the supporters who didn't bother leaving early.

18:25: Jurgen Klopp has made nine changes for tonight's final with Sadio Mane and Emre Can the only survivors.

Elsewhere it's looking rather youthful in the Liverpool ranks with Jon Flanagan, Joe Gomez, Ben Woodburn and Dominic Solanke all starting.

Danny Ward gets the nod ahead of Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius, who played last night, while Andrew Robertson replaces Alberto Moreno at left-back.

18:20: Liverpool XI: Ward, Flanagan, Gomez, Klavan, Milner, Can, Wijnaldum, Lallana, Woodburn, Mane, Solanke

Subs: Karius, Mignolet, Firmino, Origi, Henderson, Grujic, Robertson, Matip, Kent, Ejaria, Alexander-Arnold.

18:00: Good evening y'all, welcome to our LIVE coverage of the 2017 Audi Cup final - everyone's been talking about it!

OK, the tournament might feel like an advert for the new Audi Q5 (hopefully plugging that will result in a freebie!) but Jurgen Klopp will be delighted with his sides display.

Liverpool dismantled Bayern Munich on their own turf last night thanks to goals from Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Daniel Sturridge.

And their reward is a place in tonight's final against Atletico Madrid! 

Preview

Express Sport brings you LIVE coverage from the Allianz Arena.

Liverpool v Atletico Madrid: Striker Daniel Sturridge will miss tonight's match with a thigh injury.

The Reds hammered Bayern Munich 3-0 to reach the final, while Atletico beat Napoli 2-1.

James Milner and Joe Gomez are both in contention to feature against Atletico.

Asked about his injury, Sturridge said: "It's just a little bit of tension kicking off.

"I've done a lot of running and a lot of work. We train on the morning of the games. I think it's just a bit of fatigue to be honest. I'll be okay.

"I'm feeling great, I've put in a lot of work, I trained a lot in the summer in LA. I haven't missed many sessions here, they're looking after me, we have done triple sessions and things like that.

"I've trained nearly every session. I'm feeling the best I've felt for a little while and I'm looking forward to the season and hopefully we can have some success."

The Reds start their Premier League campaign at Watford on August 12.