Atalanta 0-1 Liverpool (agg: 3-1): Jurgen Klopp’s side out of Europa League in quarter-finals

Mohamed Salah’s penalty was his 24th goal of the season in all competitions

Liverpool’s hopes of ending Jurgen Klopp’s reign with a European trophy are over after they failed to overturn a first-leg deficit against Atalanta.

The Reds travelled to Italy on the back of a 3-0 defeat at Anfield last Thursday and, despite controlling the game for the large periods, could not find the required goals and lost 3-1 on aggregate.

Mohamed Salah’s seventh-minute penalty, after a Trent Alexander-Arnold cross was handled, gave them hope.

As the first half drew to a close, the Egypt forward lofted well wide when put through one-on-one, but Klopp’s side struggled to create meaningful openings in the second period.

It marks the end of a difficult 12 days for the Reds, who drew at Manchester United and lost at home to Crystal Palace to surrender their lead at the top of the Premier League.

Attention will now turn back to the title race with Liverpool sitting third behind second-placed Arsenal and two points off leaders Manchester City.

The league now represents their final chance to give Klopp a fairytale ending to his eight and a half years on Merseyside and add to their success in the Carabao Cup in February.

Liverpool lack creativity as season threatens to peter out

Ultimately, Liverpool lost this game in the first leg at Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp said they would need to play the “complete game” in Italy to progress, and while they had more than 70% possession, this was Liverpool far from their best.

They lacked an incisiveness going forward and with the pace of Darwin Nunez starting on the bench, they failed to get in behind the Atalanta defence and stretch the game.

Klopp used his bench, calling for Nunez, Diogo Jota and Harvey Elliott with 25 minutes remaining, but it made little difference with the Reds only having two shots in the second half.

Their expected goals was a meagre 0.11 in the second period, demonstrating the lack of quality they showed in the final third.

Atalanta sit sixth in Serie A, 32 points behind leaders Inter Milan, but they were superb in this tie, defending valiantly and attacking with creativity, and deservedly progress to the last four.

Klopp has managed Liverpool in four European finals during his tenure, but there will not be a fifth.

Their season is in danger of petering out. Three away games in the Premier League in the next nine days could well define how their campaign pans out from here.

Player of the match

LookmanAdemola Lookman

Atalanta

Squad number11Player nameLookman

Squad number8Player namePasalic

Squad number17Player nameDe Ketelaere

Squad number13Player nameÉderson

Squad number77Player nameZappacosta

Squad number7Player nameKoopmeiners

Squad number90Player nameScamacca

Squad number15Player namede Roon

Squad number19Player nameDjimsiti

Squad number23Player nameKolasinac

Squad number22Player nameRuggeri

Squad number59Player nameAl Miranchuk

Squad number4Player nameHien

Squad number1Player nameMusso

Line-ups

Atalanta

Formation 3-4-1-2

1 Musso

19Djimsiti4Hien23Kolasinac

77Zappacosta13dos Santos Lourenco da Silva15de Roon22Ruggeri

7Koopmeiners

59Al Miranchuk90Scamacca

1Musso19Djimsiti4HienBooked at 43mins23Kolasinac77ZappacostaBooked at 90mins13dos Santos Lourenco da SilvaSubstituted forPasalicat 75’minutes15de Roon22Ruggeri7KoopmeinersBooked at 77mins59Al MiranchukSubstituted forLookmanat 79’minutes90ScamaccaSubstituted forDe Ketelaereat 75’minutesSubstitutes2Tolói3Holm8Pasalic10Touré11Lookman17De Ketelaere20Bakker25Adopo29Carnesecchi31Rossi33Hateboer43Bonfanti

Liverpool

Formation 4-3-3

1Alisson

66Alexander-Arnold5Konaté4van Dijk26Robertson

8Szoboszlai10Mac Allister17Jones

11Salah18Gakpo7Díaz

1Alisson66Alexander-ArnoldSubstituted forGomezat 72’minutes5Konaté4van Dijk26RobertsonSubstituted forDannsat 79’minutes8SzoboszlaiSubstituted forElliottat 67’minutes10Mac Allister17Jones11SalahSubstituted forNúñezat 66’minutes18Gakpo7DíazSubstituted forJotaat 66’minutesSubstitutes2Gomez3Endo9N úñez13Adrián19Elliott20Jota21Tsimikas38Gravenberch42Clark62Kelleher76Danns78Quansah

Referee:François Letexier

Live Text

Match ends, Atalanta 0, Liverpool 1.

Second Half ends, Atalanta 0, Liverpool 1.

Offside, Atalanta. Ademola Lookman is caught offside.

Foul by Curtis Jones (Liverpool).

Teun Koopmeiners (Atalanta) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Attempt saved. Darwin Núñez (Liverpool) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Alexis Mac Allister.

Davide Zappacosta (Atalanta) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Diogo Jota (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Foul by Davide Zappacosta (Atalanta).

Corner, Atalanta. Conceded by Virgil van Dijk.

Cody Gakpo (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Foul by Teun Koopmeiners (Atalanta).

Substitution, Atalanta. Ademola Lookman replaces Aleksey Miranchuk.

Substitution, Liverpool. Jayden Danns replaces Andy Robertson.

Foul by Diogo Jota (Liverpool).

Sead Kolasinac (Atalanta) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Teun Koopmeiners (Atalanta) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Foul by Teun Koopmeiners (Atalanta).

Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

2024-04-18 22:04:02
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