If this was to be Jürgen Klopp’s last European night at Anfield as Liverpool manager, it wasn’t how things were supposed to end.
After nearly nine years in charge, Klopp has been able to toast many famous nights of continental football at this venue, defeating Roma, Borussia Dortmund and, of course, defeating Barcelona 4-0 in the Champions League semi-final. five years ago.
Liverpool may have to invoke the spirit of May 2019 again because they need something of a similar Herculean nature as they look to mount a three-goal comeback against all odds next week.
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The good news is that Klopp’s men scored five goals when they hosted Atalanta four years ago, but that may be light gruel for those looking for crumbs of comfort at the moment.
This horror show was the exact opposite of the performances mentioned above; The Reds suffered a truly shocking 3-0 defeat, leaving their Europa League hopes cut short.
A big part of Liverpool’s considerable arsenal is their ability to crush opponents with their extra reserves of pace and power. But here they faced their opponents, a supremely trained and physical Atalanta side who showed no respect for the venue or the story of ending Klopp’s time as manager with a Dublin final; This was, for many, a Dublin final that has haunted this European season ever since. He announced his decision to resign in January.
And full credit must go to Gian Piero Gasperini and his players, who proved in 2020 that their Champions League success was no different from the behind-closed-doors nature of pandemic football. The Serie A side were a team worth winning and have had five without a response in their last two visits here. Who else can boast of this?
In a first half with few chances, Darwin Nunez’s attempt to chip in a through ball from Curtis Jones should have gone better; Harvey Elliott was unlucky not to open the scoring with a superb effort that kissed the underside of both men. bar and pole before heading out.
Liverpool have been forced to pay the price for a routinely middling first 45 minutes so far, with Gianluca Scamacca finishing with a low ball into the box and Caoimhin Kelleher asking the questions. Save early in the game to keep Mario Pasalic out.
Clearly upset by the lack of performance in the first half, Klopp sent on Dominik Szoboszlai, Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson in the second period, leaving Jones, Elliott and Kostas Tsimikas behind.
This led to a small number of chances for the likes of Nunez, Salah and Virgil van Dijk but a lasting result never came and Gasperini’s men continued their threat. Former West Ham United striker Scamacca put Liverpool ahead 2-0 with a deft strike from the left and Luis Diaz was substituted for Nunez before Diogo Jota returned.
Despite a side brimming with firepower, it was the Italians who attacked next, with Pasalic reaching goal after Kelleher made the first save. This was the signal for almost the entire Atalanta squad to storm the pitch in search of their fans at the end of Anfield Road. And who could hold them responsible? In response, many of Liverpool’s followers headed for the exit, and it was difficult to criticize this decision.
The fans, who protested the increasing ticket prices in advance and decided to leave the flags at home, voted with their feet when the third one came into play.
Perhaps, in the cold light of day, there is some truth to the theory that this Liverpool team was a team that ran out of steam at exactly the wrong time. The grueling efforts of an injury-plagued team that has struggled for months without a game seem to be finally catching up with a team expertly juggling their depleted reserves long before the international break.
There is positive news on that front, with at least Jota and Jones returning and Trent-Alexander Arnold and Stefan Bajcetic on the bench, but none of that will make Atalanta’s celebrations in front of Anfield Road any easier to digest. full time.
In the statement made against the recent 2% ticket price increase, the absence of flags on the Kop at least ensured that no one around would have white flags to wave here, because Liverpool now have a lot to do next week and another unforgettable match. is requested. The question is; Do the players have the energy levels needed?
The length of the Irish sea has suddenly become a gulf and Dublin has never seemed so far away.