Current location:health >>
Jurgen Klopp's gamble backfires as lacklustre Liverpool lose 3
health9People have gathered around
IntroductionNobody would have predicted West Ham misfit Gianluca Scamacca as being responsible for killing Jurge ...
Nobody would have predicted West Ham misfit Gianluca Scamacca as being responsible for killing Jurgen Klopp’s dream farewell but that’s how it looks after a thoroughly miserable evening for Liverpool.
Thousands of Reds fans have already booked flights and hotels for the Europa League final in Dublin on May 22 in anticipation of their team being there in what would be their manager’s final game.
Those hopes are now dangling by the thinnest of threads after the gamble by Klopp to make six changes went shockingly wrong.
Scamacca, who cost West Ham £30million but stayed only a season before returning to Serie A last summer, capitalised on a dreadful error by Caoimhin Kelleher to give the Italians a half-time lead, and doubled on the hour after a panicky Klopp had already made four substitutions.
Mario Pasalic’s late third puts Atalanta, sixth in Serie A, in full control of the quarter-final tie. Though they beat Liverpool 2-0 at Anfield in the Champions League in 2020 but lost 5-0 at home, even the most optimistic Koppite will find it hard to see history repeating itself.
Atalanta earned a shock 3-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield in the first leg of their quarter-final
Liverpool face an uphill battle to rescue the Europa League last eight tie next week in Bergamo
Jurgen Klopp was left to rue making six changes with the Premier League title race in mind
Whether a less colourful Anfield atmosphere was to blame – fans refused to bring their customary flags a protest against rising ticket prices – Liverpool will fervently hope their dramatic drop-off doesn’t spill over to the weekend when they face Crystal Palace in a match critical for their Premier League title prospects.
Perhaps Klopp already had that game in mind with his team selection for this one. Mo Salah was among the luminaries left on the bench though there were also welcome returns there for Diogo Jota and Trent Alexander-Arnold, each having missed a couple of months through injury.
READ MORE PLAYER RATINGS - Liverpool trio underwhelm on an evening to forget after DISMAL 3-0 Atalanta loss
AdvertisementAtalanta sent out an early warning after three minutes when Kelleher fortuitously blocked Pasalic at point-blank range, the shot striking the goalkeeper’s face to leave a mark.
The attacking raids of full-back David Zappacosta, once of Chelsea, were a constant threat that Liverpool never dealt with.
Not that Klopp’s men lacked opportunities at the other end. Darwin Nunez, criticised for missing chances at Old Trafford last weekend, was wayward again after 16 minutes when he latched onto a Curtis Jones pass but fired well wide.
In contrast, Harvey Elliott was desperately unlucky when his curling shot from the right angle of the penalty area struck the crossbar and then hit the post on the way down.
Overall, Klopp looked unhappy at the way his players struggled against Atalanta’s unusual approach of man-marking all over the pitch and then breaking with real purpose.
His foreboding came true after 38 minutes. Zappacosta again burst forward from right-back and was close to the Liverpool byline when he picked out Scamacca with a cutback.
Caoimhin Kelleher made a fine stop with his face early on but was at fault for the opening goal
Gianluca Scamacca gave Atalanta a first half lead with his effort going under Kelleher
The big Italian’s low strike from 12 yards to Kelleher’s left should have been saved by the goalkeeper but squirmed underneath a flailing arm and rolled over the line.
Scamacca is something of a European specialist, five of his eight goals for West Ham last season came in their winning Europa Conference campaign though he missed the final through injury.
Kelleher prevented Atalanta going 2-0 ahead on the stroke of half-time when he came out to block Dutchman Teun Koopmeiners.
Klopp had seen enough and brought on his big guns Mo Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Andy Robertson at the interval.
There was an early uplift with Salah denied by Juan Musso and Nunez blasting over from eight yards.
The striker was replaced by Luis Diaz on the hour but the Colombian hadn’t even touched the ball before Atalanta doubled their lead.
Scamacca doubled his tally in the second half after the forward was picked out in space
The former West Ham forward has proved something of a European specialist in recent years
Atalanta, sixth in Serie A, continued to create chances as Liverpool pushed forward at Anfield
The Italians, well-marshalled by their veteran coach Gian Gasperini, played through the lines until Charles De Keletaere squared from the right and Scamacca connected with a neat sidefoot finish, first-time well beyond Kelleher’s reach.
After 75 minutes, Klopp made his last change with Jota coming on for his first appearance since a knee injury on February 17.
He looked lively but disaster struck at the other end when Szoboszlai gave the ball away allowing Martin de Roon a clear run on goal.
His shot was parried by Kelleher straight to Pasalic who tucked away the rebound.
It was Liverpool’s first home defeat in any competition this season.
Skipper Virgil van Dijk couldn’t hide the pain. ‘A very, very disappointing evening,’ he said glumly.
‘Too many individual mistakes and we got punished for it. With the man-marking system they do, we have to do much better. It hurts of course.’
Salah thought he had pulled a goal back for Liverpool but saw his effort ruled out for offside
Mario Pasalic scored Atalanta's third goal as the Serie A side stunned Jurgen Klopp's side
Atalanta became the first side to beat Klopp's side at Anfield since February last year
Liverpool will now have to evoke the spirit of their famous comeback win against Barcelona to reach the semi-finals in a week’s time.
‘If you don't believe, there's no point going to Italy,’ added their captain before striking a realistic note. ‘We have made it very hard for ourselves.’
Hopefully for Klopp, the travelling fans will take their flags.
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“Worldly Whispers news portal”。http://romania.highlanderdistrict.org/article-80f699911.html
Related articles
Uber and Lyft say they'll stay in Minnesota after Legislature passes driver pay compromise
healthST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Uber and Lyft plan to keep operating in Minnesota after the state Legislature ...
【health】
Read moreSuccession's Brian Cox stars in an American stage epic... but at three
healthLong Day’s Journey Into NightWyndham’s Theatre, LondonRating: Was ever a play better titled? Eugene ...
【health】
Read more‘An immortal of our incredible game’
healthSam Whitelock is the most capped All Black of all time, but is now leaving the game. Photo: PHOTOSPO ...
【health】
Read more
Popular articles
- Uber and Lyft say they'll stay in Minnesota after Legislature passes driver pay compromise
- Lucy Boynton reveals why her Barbie character barely has any screen time
- Dog severely burned and abandoned by owner in San Bernardino
- Food writer baffles This Morning viewers with tips for cheap lunches
- Minnesota Uber and Lyft driver pay package beats deadline to win approval in Legislature
- Rustle these up with Rosemary: Carrot cake with orange buttercream and walnuts
Latest articles
Yvette Fielding says her Most Haunted co
James, Earl of Wessex, 16, stands shoulder
Space X: Rocket set to slam into moon wrongly blamed on Elon Musk
Ministry of Health calls staff meetings as job cuts loom
Not so Cool Britannia! Noel Gallagher gives damning verdict on Keir Starmer
My toddler saved my life after I had an epileptic seizure and fell in the bath
LINKS
- PSG faces a difficult rebuilding task without Mbappé as the curtain falls on superstar era
- Families of the victims of attacks on displaced people in Congo mourn their dead
- FTX customers to get money back after catastrophic crypto collapse
- Mexico tightens travel rules on Peruvians in a show of visa diplomacy to slow migration to US
- Hong Kong court bans 'Glory to Hong Kong' song
- Malaysian soccer player splashed with acid, two others attacked in a week of rare violence
- US's largest public utility ignores warnings in moving forward with new natural gas plant
- Hong Kong court bans 'Glory to Hong Kong' song
- Met Gala 2024: Photos from the Mark Hotel
- UK weather: Last month was the hottest April on record worldwide since 1940