Liverpool failed but gave fans hope that the Jurgen Klopp era could still have a magical end, writes LEWIS STEELE
If you’re going to fail, make sure you fail beautifully. It was Jurgen Klopp’s rallying cry before Liverpool attempted to write another chapter in the book of inspiring triumphs back in Europe.
Ultimately, this will have to be considered a failure. It wasn’t pretty, but it was a valiant performance that healed some of the psychological wounds of the last fortnight and gave fans hope that the Jurgen Klopp era could yet have a magical ending.
Winning that night, thanks to an early penalty from Mohamed Salah, ended the rot after two defeats and a draw in the previous weeks, threatening to derail their season. Liverpool finished this tie with their heads held high but the damage was already done and they left with nothing.
Klopp hopes the Premier League final does not follow this pattern. The German manager only has six dates left for his farewell tour. The days of following Klopp’s Reds around Europe – a journey which gave the club four finals and a sixth European Cup crown – are over.
Salah’s goal after just seven minutes made it feel like another big comeback was well on the cards, but Gian Piero Gasperini’s hard-working side quickly settled in and made this tie derail. With apologies for an obvious pun, the stubborn display was a typically Italian job.
The task at Atalanta proved too much for Liverpool after a disastrous first leg
Harvey Elliott sat out full-time after Liverpool’s slim win proved insufficient
The brilliant Italian team managed to dig in and deny Liverpool clear chances
The Reds played well overall and at least gave some hope for the end of the season.
Mo Salah scored from the penalty spot early on as Liverpool got off to the perfect start in Bergamo
Salah grabbed the ball quickly and rushed to restart the game for the Reds.
In this picturesque city surrounded by the shadows of the Italian Alps and Mont Blanc, it felt like Liverpool had a significant but not insurmountable mountain to climb. It was an improbable mission but certainly not an impossible mission.
If they wanted to recapture the spirit of 2019 when they overcame a three-goal deficit to topple the mighty Barcelona of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, Reds fans knew they needed a fast start. They got it by scoring with just seven minutes on the clock.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, who started his first game since February after a knee injury, showed Liverpool what they were missing and appeared in dangerous areas on several occasions. The full-back was awarded a penalty after his cross was blocked by Matteo Ruggeri’s hand.
Was it handball? Yes, 100 percent. Should this be a penalty, given how close the defender was and how difficult it was to get his arm out of the way? It’s a weird rule. Mohamed Salah didn’t care, approaching and shooting hard and low to his right.
The small number of Liverpool fans cooped up like zoo animals in the corner of this incomplete stadium began to believe it, and that confidence was also shaken by the Reds players, Luis Diaz and Dominik Szoboszlai making decent openings in the following minutes.
Atalanta, on the other hand, looked nervous. Their manager, the impressive Gian Piero Gasperini, declared it the greatest match in the club’s history. But they quickly settled in and gave Alisson a few scares on the other end of the line.
Luis Diaz worked hard against Atalanta’s resilient defense and the hosts made life difficult for themselves
Alexis MacAllister pulled the strings for Liverpool in the midfield of a strong formation
Salah missed a big chance at 1-0 and his lob went astray, which could have changed the game
Gian Piero Gasperini roared to celebrate a job well done as his team progressed
Firstly, captain Virgil van Dijk almost diverted a cross into his own goal and had to be bailed out by the keeper – although it may have been offside. Then, Aleksei Miranchuk would have been one on one after a nice back and forth with Gianluca Scamacca but his first touch was botched.
Salah missed a golden opportunity to add a second when he was put through on goal and went to lob Juan Musso, but he side-footed his effort wide, then Liverpool had a wake-up call at the other end as Teun Koopmeiners scored a goal. ruled out for offside.
Atalanta looked more organized after halftime, which came at the right time for the Italian team. Gasperini’s men moved further back towards their own goal and limited the space for Liverpool, who sent Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota in search of another goal.
Indeed, as the second half wore on, Atalanta looked like the team more likely to score. Midfielder Ederson saw a big opportunity go wrong and Koopmeiners – an energetic midfielder with a potentially big future in the Premier League – fired a drilled shot straight at Alisson.
Virgil van Dijk applauded traveling fans after Liverpool’s Europa League exit
The Atalanta players greeted the public who created an excellent atmosphere
Cody Gakpo and Salah had good openings but couldn’t muster much more than tame efforts. So what do we think of Liverpool’s exit? Given the talent of their squad, it was a subpar Europa League campaign that ended on a disappointing note.
But their sabbatical from the Champions League will soon end and a return to Europe’s elite competition is on the agenda. Unfortunately for Liverpool fans, Klopp will not be the man to lead them in their quest for European Cup No.7.
Whoever takes over Klopp’s duties will have heavy responsibilities to fulfill. The German brought back the good times during his European tour. After these four finals against football headliners like Real Madrid, no one expected the journey to end in Bergamo. But it was quite an adventure for these fans.
