Liverpool were boosted by a number of returning players ahead of their Europa League quarter-final first leg against Atalanta but the same old problems — wastefulness up front and lax defending — haunted Jurgen Klopp’s team on Thursday evening.
The Serie A club led at half-time thanks to a goal from former West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacca shortly before the break. Caoimhin Kelleher should have done better with that one but saved his side with his face and his chest at other points during the opening 45 minutes. Liverpool’s best chances were wasted by Darwin Nunez, while Harvey Elliott hit the bar and post with a curling effort.
Klopp brought on Andy Robertson, Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai at half-time but to little effect, especially once Scamacca had made it 2-0 to the visitors, while a third Atalanta goal from Mario Pasalic with six minutes to go means Liverpool have a surely impossible mountain to climb in the second leg next week.
Here, we answer some of the key questions from the game.
Just how damaging is this defeat?
It was close to 14 months since Liverpool were last defeated at Anfield and, like that Champions League humbling at the hands of Real Madrid when beaten 5-2 in February 2023, there could be no complaints.
Jurgen Klopp’s side were out-thought and second best to Atalanta, never recovering from a sluggish start. The Italian side, canny and well-drilled, might have won by more, such were the big opportunities they created.
The two goals from Gianlucca Scamacca, who was twice afforded far too much space inside the box, came in either half to draw the air out of Liverpool lungs. There were chances to make this a different night, like Darwin Nunez’s gilt-edged miss in the first half and Mohamed Salah’s finish disallowed for offside, but this was an ill-timed contender for Liverpool’s worst performance of the season.
The Liverpool vs Atalanta match dashboard, showing the threat timeline, territory, match stats, shot maps and pass networks
Mario Pasalic’s third goal for Atalanta in the 84th minute made an uphill task mountainous for the second leg in Bergamo next Thursday and ensured most fans headed home contemplating an uncomfortable truth. Barring an enormous fightback in Italy, they had just witnessed what would be Klopp’s final European night at Anfield.
The fairytale endings for a manager stepping down this summer are fast fading.
Pasalic celebrates Atalanta’s third goal (DARREN STAPLES/AFP via Getty Images)
Why are Liverpool so unreliable at the back?
For all Liverpool have promised to achieve in this second half of the season, there are persistent defensive shortcomings that threaten to undermine this dual pursuit of silverware.
Atalanta were the latest opponent to pick at frayed seams, consistently causing problems for a ragged back four. Scamacca eventually found a way past Kelleher late in the first half, firing low beneath the goalkeeper’s dive, but it was telling that Atalanta’s opener came as little surprise.
Warnings had come repeatedly. Two smart saves from Kelleher were needed at either end of the opening period and rarely did Liverpool offer any sustained reassurance that Atalanta’s attacking line could be kept out. Too often Liverpool were stretched, forced into scrambling cover.
Liverpool have it all to do in the second leg (Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
An unconvincing effort in defence merely extended a concerning pattern. It is now eight games without a clean sheet and only three in the last 17 league and cup games for Klopp’s side.
Atalanta’s second goal saw them find Scamacca in vast amounts of space and they continued to create chances on transition in the second half, Scamacca himself with a delightful pass in the build up to Atalanta’s third goal.
Late attacking rallies have usually been enough to mask those lapses at the other end, like in the home wins against Brighton & Hove Albion and Sheffield United, but the meetings against Manchester United, where six goals were leaked in two games, underlined that Liverpool’s defensive problems can carry a high price.
Did the fan protest impact the atmosphere?
The big European nights at Anfield took on a mythical edge long ago, fuelled by comebacks for the ages under floodlights, but this one was always destined to look very different.
A decision to increase tickets by two per cent has caused irritation among supporters and the decision was made not to display any flags and banners on the Kop for the visit of Atalanta.
All except two. One simply read “Say no to ticket price increases” and the other went with “FSG Gr££d”. Both were displayed ahead of kick-off at the front of the Kop, where two fan groups, Spirit of Shankly and Spion Kop 1906, usually organise a colourful pre-match display.
Liverpool fans are unhappy with recent ticket price increases (Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
The protest did nothing to dilute the atmosphere inside Anfield, where Liverpool toiled against a technically gifted visitor, but it was a pointed reminder of the simmering unease between fans and the club’s American owners.
The groups behind the withdrawal of flags and banners remain hopeful that Liverpool will go back on their proposals to increase ticket prices ahead of 2024-25. There has so far been little encouragement to suggest fans will get their way.
What did Jurgen Klopp say?
We’ll bring you the Liverpool manager’s post-match thoughts soon.
What next for Liverpool?
Sunday, April 14: Crystal Palace (H), Premier League, 2pm GMT, 9am ET
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(Top photo: Getty Images)
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