Premier League powerhouse Liverpool welcomed Serie A facet Atalanta to Anfield for the primary leg of their UEFA Europa League quarter-final conflict on Thursday night time (April 11). Atalanta’s giant-killing skills are well-documented, however nobody anticipated them to hassle the Reds, not less than not at Anfield. Nonetheless, in opposition to all odds, Gian Piero Gasperini got here out swinging and on high, securing an emphatic 3-0 win over the mighty Liverpool within the UEFA Europa League first leg.
A Pretty Even First Half At Anfield
Jurgen Klopp left 4 of his first-XI regulars — Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Andy Robertson — on the bench at kick-off. However it didn’t take lengthy for the German to comprehend that he had not made the neatest choice. Simply three minutes in, Gianluca Scamacca pulled the ball again to Mario Pasalic, who went for aim from six yards out. Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher leaped to his left and by some means stored out his shot from the facet of his face.
Liverpool had a superb alternative to get on the scoresheet within the fifteenth minute, as Curtis Jones despatched Darwin Nunez by on aim. As an alternative of making an attempt to around the goalkeeper, the Uruguayan tried to chip him, in the end getting all of it fallacious and firing broad. Within the twenty sixth minute, Harvey Elliott was denied by the bar after which the publish, as his curling shot rifled in opposition to the bar onto the publish and eventually away from hazard.
Twelve minutes after Elliott’s effort, Atalanta put their noses in entrance, with Scamacca making use of a side-footed end to ship Davide Zappacosta’s low cross into the again of the web. The goalkeeper received a hand to it however he lacked the conviction to maintain the ball out.
Liverpool Shellshocked By Ruthless Atalanta In Breathtaking Second Half
In an try to regain management, Klopp introduced Salah, Robertson, and Szoboszlai off the bench at half time. Sadly for the house crew, not one of the substitutes managed to make the specified influence. After weathering a number of Liverpool assaults, Atalanta landed a large blow on the hour mark, doubling their cushion with a fantastic strike from Scamacca. The goalscorer was fully unmarked contained in the Liverpool space and confidently despatched Charles De Ketelaere’s cross into the bottom-right nook with a first-time effort.
The Merseysiders hit the again of the web by Salah within the 79th minute, however the linesman promptly dominated the aim out for offside. 4 minutes after Salah’s chalked-out strike, Pasalic scored the possibly tie-deciding aim, placing away the rebound after Kelleher stopped Ederson’s try. Surprisingly, it began with Szoboszlai’s poor cross to Ibrahima Konate, because it allowed Teun Koopmeiners to pounce and play the ball to Ederson.
Liverpool almost pulled one again within the eighty fifth minute, as Robertson tried to around the keeper together with his curling shot. The Scotland worldwide would have been profitable had Matteo Ruggeri not been there to clear it off the road.
The sport in the end ended 3-0 in Atalanta’s favor, leaving Liverpool with a mountain to climb for the return leg in Italy subsequent Thursday.
