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Liverpool’s hopes of ending Jurgen Klopp’s reign with a European trophy are over after they failed to overturn a first-leg deficit against Atalanta.
The Reds travelled to Italy on the back of a 3-0 defeat at Anfield last Thursday and, despite controlling the game for the large periods, could not find the required goals and lost 3-1 on aggregate.
Mohamed Salah’s seventh-minute penalty, after a Trent Alexander-Arnold cross was handled, gave them hope.
As the first half drew to a close, the Egypt forward lofted well wide when put through one-on-one, but Klopp’s side struggled to create meaningful openings in the second period.
It marks the end of a difficult 12 days for the Reds, who drew at Manchester United and lost at home to Crystal Palace to surrender their lead at the top of the Premier League.
Attention will now turn back to the title race with Liverpool sitting third behind second-placed Arsenal and two points off leaders Manchester City.
The league now represents their final chance to give Klopp a fairytale ending to his eight and a half years on Merseyside and add to their success in the Carabao Cup in February.
Liverpool lack creativity as season threatens to peter out
Ultimately, Liverpool lost this game in the first leg at Anfield.
Jurgen Klopp said they would need to play the “complete game” in Italy to progress, and while they had more than 70% possession, this was Liverpool far from their best.
They lacked an incisiveness going forward and with the pace of Darwin Nunez starting on the bench, they failed to get in behind the Atalanta defence and stretch the game.
Klopp used his bench, calling for Nunez, Diogo Jota and Harvey Elliott with 25 minutes remaining, but it made little difference with the Reds only having two shots in the second half.
Their expected goals was a meagre 0.11 in the second period, demonstrating the lack of quality they showed in the final third.
Atalanta sit sixth in Serie A, 32 points behind leaders Inter Milan, but they were superb in this tie, defending valiantly and attacking with creativity, and deservedly set up a semi-final against Marseille, who beat Benfica on penalties.
Klopp has managed Liverpool in four European finals during his tenure, but there will not be a fifth.
Their season is in danger of petering out. Three away games in the Premier League in the next nine days could well define how their campaign pans out from here.
Player of the match
LookmanAdemola Lookman
Atalanta
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Squad number11Player nameLookman
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Squad number8Player namePasalic
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Squad number17Player nameDe Ketelaere
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Squad number13Player nameÉderson
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Squad number77Player nameZappacosta
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Squad number7Player nameKoopmeiners
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Squad number90Player nameScamacca
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Squad number15Player namede Roon
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Squad number19Player nameDjimsiti
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Squad number23Player nameKolasinac
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Squad number22Player nameRuggeri
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Squad number59Player nameAl Miranchuk
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Squad number4Player nameHien
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Squad number1Player nameMusso
Line-ups
Atalanta
Formation 3-4-1-2
- 1Musso
- 19Djimsiti
- 4HienBooked at 43mins
- 23Kolasinac
- 77ZappacostaBooked at 90mins
- 13dos Santos Lourenco da SilvaSubstituted forPasalicat 75′minutes
- 15de Roon
- 22Ruggeri
- 7KoopmeinersBooked at 77mins
- 59Al MiranchukSubstituted forLookmanat 79′minutes
- 90ScamaccaSubstituted forDe Ketelaereat 75′minutes
Substitutes
- 2TolĂ³i
- 3Holm
- 8Pasalic
- 10Touré
- 11Lookman
- 17De Ketelaere
- 20Bakker
- 25Adopo
- 29Carnesecchi
- 31Rossi
- 33Hateboer
- 43Bonfanti
Liverpool
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Alisson
- 66Alexander-ArnoldSubstituted forGomezat 72′minutes
- 5Konaté
- 4van Dijk
- 26RobertsonSubstituted forDannsat 79′minutes
- 8SzoboszlaiSubstituted forElliottat 67′minutes
- 10Mac Allister
- 17Jones
- 11SalahSubstituted forNĂºĂ±ezat 66′minutes
- 18Gakpo
- 7DĂazSubstituted forJotaat 66′minutes
Substitutes
- 2Gomez
- 3Endo
- 9NĂºĂ±ez
- 13AdriĂ¡n
- 19Elliott
- 20Jota
- 21Tsimikas
- 38Gravenberch
- 42Clark
- 62Kelleher
- 76Danns
- 78Quansah
- Referee:
- François Letexier
Live Text
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Match ends, Atalanta 0, Liverpool 1.
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Second Half ends, Atalanta 0, Liverpool 1.
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Offside, Atalanta. Ademola Lookman is caught offside.
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Foul by Curtis Jones (Liverpool).
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Teun Koopmeiners (Atalanta) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Attempt saved. Darwin NĂºĂ±ez (Liverpool) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Alexis Mac Allister.
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Davide Zappacosta (Atalanta) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Diogo Jota (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Davide Zappacosta (Atalanta).
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Corner, Atalanta. Conceded by Virgil van Dijk.
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Cody Gakpo (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Teun Koopmeiners (Atalanta).
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Substitution, Atalanta. Ademola Lookman replaces Aleksey Miranchuk.
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Substitution, Liverpool. Jayden Danns replaces Andy Robertson.
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Foul by Diogo Jota (Liverpool).
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Sead Kolasinac (Atalanta) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Teun Koopmeiners (Atalanta) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Teun Koopmeiners (Atalanta).
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Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.