That’s me done. Thanks for reading, and for your emails. Congratulations to Atalanta, worthy winners over the two legs. It now looks a very real possibility that Klopp’s final season will finish with just Carabao Cup silverware.
A significant step forward for Italian football tonight: with tonight’s results Italy have mathematically secured an fifth Champions League spot and …
🚨 Italy will have SIX clubs in 2024/25 Champions League if AS Roma or Atalanta win the Europa League, while finishing 5th in Serie A! pic.twitter.com/ao68EDAp8W
— Football Rankings (@FootRankings) April 18, 2024
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Match report
Andy Hunter was at the Gee-Whizz! Gewiss Stadium.
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Eeeeeesh.
Liverpool created just 0.04(xG) in the second half against Atalanta this evening. pic.twitter.com/RvHyzw6XOD
— The xG Philosophy (@xGPhilosophy) April 18, 2024
Atalanta face one of Marseille or Benfica, which is into extra time now.
Leverkusen will face Roma, after De Rossi’s side beat Milan 2-1 (3-1 agg) in their quarter-final.
It was less than 12 years ago that Xabi Alonso and Daniele De Rossi were starting against each other in the Euros Final.
— Zach Lowy (@ZachLowy) April 18, 2024
Today, they’re managing two of the most in-form teams in Europe, and they’ll be facing off in the Europa League semifinals. pic.twitter.com/Ei3Gab3g9t
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Virgil van Dijk speaks:
Credit to Atalanta. Last week the damage was done. They had the perfect game. They deserve to go through. We have to quickly, very quickly, turn this around and travel to London. We need every person for this last push.
We had opportunities tonight. There was still time. Maybe sometimes we wanted it too quickly. Overall, it was better than last week, but not enough.
Showing togetherness and professionalism is the key to be ready for [Fulham]. Physically and mentally. I feel disappointed but we don’t have a lot of time to feel this. We need the fans now more than ever. Anything is still possible.
Aston Villa are the only English side left in European competition.
It’s now full-time: West Ham 1-1 Bayer Leverkusen (1-3 agg). That’s four English sides that have been dumped out of Europe this week.
Meanwhile in east London, it’s not great news for another English side …
Reminder they have a bubble machine on the half way line. https://t.co/v9hql8VxIt
— Eck (@Eckauskas1874) April 18, 2024
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Atalanta reach their first European semi-final since 1988! They will face one of Marseille or Benfica, who are currently tied 2-2 on aggregate and heading into extra time in one of the other quarter-finals.
The players invade the pitch. The home sides bounce in the stand. Gasperini, aged 66 but still with a boyish charm, smiles broadly. Congratulazioni!
Full-time: Atalanta 0-1 Liverpool (3-1 agg)
Atalanta are through to the Europa League semi-finals! Liverpool are out of Europe!
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90+1 min: Zappacosta is cautioned for holding onto Jota, stopping a rare Liverpool counter-attack. A good foul, from Atalanta’s point of view.
90 min: Liverpool have been worse since the changes. Atalanta win a corner. They are coasting to victory here. Three minutes added on.
88 min: Liverpool look completely out of ideas. Based upon this performance, I wouldn’t feel confident for the trip to Fulham on Sunday, if I was a Liverpool fan.
86 min: A hopeful cross from Elliott is caught by Musso, who is playing for time.
84 min: It’s nice starting the game with a three-goal cushion, but you have to give Atalanta credit here again. At half-time, it felt like a full-strength Liverpool were still in the ascendency. But the home side have stifled and suffocated in the second half, and might even have nicked a goal of their own. At the moment they are fully deserving of a semi-final place.
82 min: Liverpool have resorted to pumping it long to Nunez. But they can’t get close to the second ball. This all feels quite rudimentary.
80 min: Here we go. A last throw of the dice for Liverpool. Robertson off, Danns – the young striker and son of Neil – is on. Gakpo looks like he’s playing as a makeshift left wing back.
Atalanta also make another sub: London-born Lookman, formerly of Charlton and Everton, for Miranchuk.
78 min: Yellow card for Koopmeiners, who trips Mac Allister. Can Liverpool capitalise from a set piece? Nope, Robertson’s delivery goes straight into the arms of Musso.
77 min: Liverpool don’t look like scoring anytime soon. Hien, the Swede signed from Verona in January, has been excellent at the back for Atalanta, just as he was in the first leg.
75 min: Atalanta respond with two changes of their own: Scamacca and Ederson off for Pasalic and De Ketelaere.
74 min: Liverpool make another change, Gomez for Alexander-Arnold. Klopp has yet to throw everyone forward. He will surely have to change the shape soon.
72 min: Fair play to the Atalanta fans, they are making themselves heard, roaring their team on. A reminder that this stadium is currently smaller than Watford’s Vicarage Road.
70 min: “Profligacy has been the theme of Liverpool’recent poor results against Atalanta and Crystal Palace” emails Colum Fordham. “Salah’s missed lob is just the latest in the series. Maybe Jota could be the telling substitution. Or agent of chaos-in-chief Darwin Nunez”.
Liverpool are not wasting chances at present. They aren’t creating any. That said, Jota is Liverpool’s most efficient finisher this season, scoring every 117 minutes.
68 min: Klopp makes a much-needed triple change. Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott are on for Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz and Dominik Szoboszlai. They are seemingly like-for-like swaps.
66 min: Liverpool are ragged! They have to push for these two goals but gaps will surely open up at the back, particularly with no Endo/a natural No 6 in midfield. Miranchuk has an easy pass to Koopmeiners, but the Russian overhits his through ball! Gasperini will be fuming. The game is there to be finished.
64 min: Liverpool are getting increasingly sloppy/desperate. Alexander-Arnold twice gives the ball away. Jones, too, is guilty of wasting possession.
62 min: Both sides could do with freshening things up. Time is ticking along. But that will suit Atalanta just fine. A lazy flick from Gakpo allows Atalanta to pounce. Zappacosta does well to find Koopmeiners on the edge of Liverpool’s box, and the Dutchman fires fiercely at Alisson, who saves neatly.
Updated
60 min: Van Dijk forces Musso into a save from a deep Liverpool free-kick, but it’s not a testing effort in truth.
58 min: Atalanta really struggling in possession. They need Koopmeiners, Ederson and De Roon to get hold of the ball. Miranchuk has been useless.
56 min: Gakpo breaks the offside trap, but the pass is overhit and the Dutchman has to check his run. Liverpool are then guilty of overplaying: Szoboszlai and Gakpo both waste chances to shoot, and eventually Salah is ruled offside. A waste!
54 min: Liverpool probing without any real penetration. Atalanta are defending deep and happy enough for Diaz, Gakpo and Salah to have the ball in wide areas. There is currently no focal point. I wonder when we might see Nunez, or even Jota.
52 min: A brief mix up between Atalanta keeper Musso and his defenders leaves the ball loose and the goal gaping, but Kolasinac clears up, thumping the ball to safety.
50 min: Big chance for Atalanta! Zappacosta digs out a low cross and it finds Miranchuk on the penalty spot. The Russian and Ederson both last shots on goal, but a combination of blocks and an Alisson save keep the hosts at bay. A nervous start to the second half for Liverpool!
49 min: Atalanta win their first corner and it’s an atrocious short routine followed by a cross that more resembled a clearance. Eeeeesh.
47 min: A good stat – 63% of Liverpool’s goals have come in the second half (or extra time) this season.
Peeeeeeep!
We’re off again in Bergamo. Gasperini spoke in his press conference about this being potentially Atalanta’s biggest ever game. It remains to be seen if that will spur the home side on or act as a burden. The home side have only ever reached a European semi-final once before.
“In the Barcelona match, the halftime score was 1-0 to Liverpool,” emails Rupak Pramanik. “If Atalanta can keep the scoreboard same till 70-75 minutes, they’ll be favourites. Till then, Liverpool are gonna hound them like a pack of wild dogs.”
Half-time reading:
“Don’t even bother with pens when Emi Martinez is in goal,” emails Gareth Rogers of Aston Villa’s shootout win over Lille. “It’s already over”.
Half-time: Atalanta 0-1 Liverpool (3-1 agg)
The score is probably a fair reflection of play, although Salah will be kicking himself for missing that late chance. Liverpool need two more goals to take this to extra time.
45 min: Two minutes added on here. Atalanta’s fans have found their voice. They are nearly at the half-way mark, and still have a two-goal advantage. Belief is growing.
43 min: Atalanta centre back Hien is shown a yellow card for a cynical handball, stopping a through ball from reaching Diaz. The Colombian is furious and approaches the referee asking for a red card, before Diaz is shown a yellow card of his own for dissent. Yellow for Hien is probably the right colour, the offence was too far from goal and there was a covering defender in Djimsiti.
Alexander-Arnold has a free-kick 30 yards out, but the right back smashes it right into the Atalanta wall.
GOAL DISALLOWED FOR ATALANTA!
41 min: De Roon threads the needle with a pass to find Koopmeiners, who breaks the offside trap and smashes a finish past Alisson! But the flag goes up, and replays show that Koopmeiners did go a bit early, Konaté stepped up just in time!
39 min: Salah misses a golden chance! Ooooooooh, this is normally meat and drink for the Egyptian, who races through, takes a touch of a bouncing ball and inexplicably lobs the ball wide of the left post. Musso was in no-man’s land, the lob was on, and it fell perfectly on Salah’s left foot, but replays show he shinned it. That’s careless from Liverpool’s talisman! Should be 2-0!
37 min: Aston Villa are through to the Conference League semi-finals! They have beaten Lille on penalties! There’s just something about Unai Emery in Europe!
35 min: Diaz has got almost no service out on the left, so he is floating into central areas, and even on the right flank, to try and create an overload. Gakpo then drifts out to the left.
33 min: It’s been a tight first 30 mins or so. The most dangerous attacks from either side have come from counter-attacking or counter-pressing, winning the ball high up the pitch. There isn’t a lot of room in the middle to play fluid football.
31 min: So nearly a beautiful Liverpool goal to make it 2-0! Gakpo surges forward on a Liverpool counter-attack. The Dutchman checks on the edge of Atalanta’s area, finds Diaz, who nearly pulls off a wondrous one-two with Salah, only for Djimsiti to make a crucial interception on the return pass!
28 min: “Wonder if Klopp’s first choice XI represents an admission that with the Premier League out of his control, that winning this trophy remains the best chance at a farewell trophy? Or is that too jaded and he’s just finally able to pick this XI and deal with the league fixtures as they come?”
Not too sure about that. Think this is the latter stages of an important competition. He’ll want to start his best possible team in all matches, including at Fulham on Sunday. A reminder that they are just two points behind City at the top of the Premier League.
25 min: Jones has been a really helpful ball carrier in midfield for Liverpool, collecting the ball off the back four and driving into Atalanta’s half.
22 min: Two bits to update you on. West Ham have taken the lead against Bayer Leverkusen in London. It’s currently 1-0 (1-2 agg) to the hosts.
Elsewhere in the Conference League, Lille v Aston Villa has gone to penalties, finishing 2-1 (3-3 agg) after extra time.
19 min: Atalanta pounce on Diaz mistake and pour forward. The Italians’ pressing remains probably their biggest weapon. Scamacca feeds Miranchuk with a beautiful slipped pass, but the Russian’s touch is heavy! Had Miranchuk got it under, he surely would have had an easy finish past Alisson.
“Currently watching as best I can from behind the sofa,” emails Phil Sawyer. “I think Liverpool would do well to keep on playing balls over the top, force Atalanta back a bit and relieve the pressure of their relentless pressing. As evidenced by the pass that ended up with a penalty. If we keep on trying to pass out from the back we’re just going to invite them onto us. Now returning to behind the sofa and rocking gently.”
17 min: Alexander-Arnold has thrice pinged one of his trademark cross-field passes to open up play for Liverpool. Bradley has been an excellent stand-in during TAA’s injury, but the Englishman is on a different level when he has the ball at his feet.
15 min: Szoboszlai loses the ball carelessly, just as he did for Atalanta’s third goal at Anfield last week, and Koopmeiners finds Scamacca on the left, who crosses, forces Van Dijk into a block, and Alisson saves a certain own goal! The referee actually whistles for offside against Scamacca earlier in the move, but that was a reminder for Liverpool of how dangerous Atalanta can be, if they needed it.
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13 min: Liverpool so close to a second goal! Gakpo turns a sneaky ball around the corner, and suddenly Diaz is through on goal … saved by Musso! Atalanta’s keeper was out really quickly and closed down the angle. Atalanta clear, Liverpool swarm forward through Jones and Szoboszlai lets fly from 25 yards, straight at Musso! That was travelling …
11 min: A really nervous atmosphere now in Bergamo. You can hear Liverpool’s small away contingent (reduced because Atalanta are currently redeveloping one of the stands, increasing capacity to around 25,000) while the home fans haven’t really got going. Let’s see if the home players respond to the early setback.
9 min: One of those penalties that is probably a bit harsh on the defender, but a clear penalty within the current rules of the game. Ruggeri’s arm was away from his body, even if there was no intention or no movement towards the ball. It was never going to be overturned by VAR once the referee had given the decision on the pitch.
GOAL! Atalanta 0-1 Liverpool (Salah pen 7, 3-1 agg)
Salah lashes it into the bottom right, Musso goes the wrong way and Liverpool have had the dream start. Oh … it’s on!
Updated
PENALTY TO LIVERPOOL!
5 min: Alexander-Arnold crosses from the right, it hits Ruggeri on the arm, and the referee points to the spot!
4 min: It seems that Van Dijk has dislocated a finger or a thumb. He’s patched up and is OK to carry on. Course he is.
2 min: Jürgen Klopp is wearing a very 90s tracksuit tonight. Not good 90s, more the sort of thing that my Sunday League manager used to wear. I should also mention that said manager used to wear a Hugo Boss cap at all times (with BOSS in capital letters across the front), constantly smoke cigars and drink six cans of diet cola per match.
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Peeeeeeeep!
And we’re off in Bergamo. I’m told this is just the third match this season that Klopp has been able to pick his first-choice back four.
The teams are out. It is worth noting that four Atalanta players – Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac, De Roon – are a booking away from a suspension. That’s the back three and the most defensive of Atalanta’s midfielders. De Roon was brilliant at centre back at Anfield but moved back into his more familiar midfield role today.
No Liverpool players are carrying a yellow card to their name.
A word for Atalanta’s stadium, Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia or Gewiss Stadium. At 21,300, it’s around the same size of Portsmouth’s Fratton Park, and Atalanta only purchased the ground outright in 2017.
Some musings from a couple of Liverpool fans, via email.
“Much like I felt before the Barcelona second leg, I expect nothing but will simply watch and see how it plays out”, writes Joe Pearson. “To quote Tommy Shelby, ‘And I don’t care, ‘cause I’m already dead’!”
“Three-nil down at halftime?” asks Matt Dony. “Nothing to worry about. Bring on Hamann, and try to sneak an early goal.”
Villa have scored! They’ve barely had a kick, but Lille keeper Chevalier has dropped a clanger and Matty Cash bounced on the rebound, lashing a deflected area into the net. We’re in added time: it’s 2-1 on the night, 3-3 on agg, and we are heading towards extra time!
A timely column, from Max Rushden.
In other blow to the Best League in the World™, Aston Villa are currently losing 2-0 (and 3-2 on agg) at Lille. About 10 minutes to go in their second leg of the Europa Conference League quarter-final.
“One of Bergamo’s notable sons is the early 19th-century composer Gaetano Donizetti,” emails Peter Oh. “Among his works is a semi-serious dramatic opera called Emilia di Liverpool, which features a happy ending for the main character, a member of the Liverpudlian noble class. I’m being semi-serious when I say that I would love to see a new opera written today, one with an unexpected twist of a happy Scouse ending. Jürgen di Liverpool!”
Liverpool at full-strength. It’s Alexander-Arnold’s first start since 10 February, while Gakpo is preferred to Darwin up top, with Endo left on the bench as Klopp opts for a more attacking midfield.
Atalanta make a couple of changes from the side that beat Liverpool last week. Former Arsenal defender Kolasinac returns from injury, while Russian forward Miranchuk is preferred to De Ketelaere.
The teams!
Atalanta: Musso, Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac, Zappacosta, Ederson Silva, De Roon, Ruggeri, Miranchuk, Koopmeiners, Scamacca.
Subs: Toloi, Holm, Pasalic, Toure, Lookman, De Ketelaere, Bakker, Adopo, Carnesecchi, Rossi, Hateboer, Bonfanti.
Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Jones, Salah, Gakpo, Diaz.
Subs: Gomez, Endo, Nunez, Adrian, Elliott, Jota, Tsimikas, Gravenberch, Clark, Kelleher, Danns, Quansah.
Preamble
Another evening, another potential series of fixtures featuring English sides getting their ar$e handed to them by the rest of the pesky European elite! After Arsenal and Manchester City were sent tumbling out of the Champions League on Wednesday, our attention turns to the Europa League, where things are also looking dire for the English sides. West Ham are 2-0 down from their first leg against Bundesliga darlings Bayer Leverkusen, while Liverpool will attempt to bounce back from a shocking 3-0 defeat at home to Atalanta. Won’t somebody think of the co-efficient?!
For the first time this season, 🏴England is NOT favoured to get the 5th Champions League spot.
— Nils Mackay (@NilsMackay) April 18, 2024
This week's results have been about as bad as possible for England.
🇩🇪 Germany's excellent results now mean they are very likely to end in Top 2 this year instead — 93.4%! pic.twitter.com/RxxXZWEut5
Atalanta were absolutely superb at Anfield, resolute in defence and clinical in attack. Jürgen Klopp made no excuses for his side’s first-leg defeat: “It was a really bad game, oh my God,” said the Liverpool manager after the game. “We started really well but didn’t continue. Before they scored we just lost the plot … we played a bad game, we deserved to lose. That’s how it is. Congratulations to Atalanta, really well done.”
Klopp was in a rather more philosophical mood this week, prior to Thursday’s match, admitting the situation reminded him of a line he used in a rousing pre-match speech before the 4-0 comeback over Barcelona in 2019.
“I remember I said: ‘If we fail, then let’s fail in the most beautiful way,’” the Liverpool manager said. “And that’s exactly how I see it again. After last week’s game everyone in the stadium thought: ‘That’s it.’ But since then, a week later, I don’t think everybody thinks it’s already decided”.
The first goal will be crucial. A goal for the hosts, and the tie almost certainly is over. But an early goal for Liverpool and it’s very much game/tie on. Let’s see.
Kick-off: 8pm BST, or 9pm in Bergamo.
