Europa League - Liverpool 0-3 Atalanta

Liverpool must mount a stirring second-leg comeback to progress in the Europa League after Atalanta won 3-0 in Thursday’s quarter-final first leg at Anfield.

Goals either side of half-time from Gianluca Scamacca were added to by a late Mario Pasalic strike, meaning the Reds will travel to Italy next week with a significant deficit to overcome if they are to reach the last four.

Harvey Elliott hit the woodwork with the score still at 0-0 and Mohamed Salah had a goal ruled out for offside prior to Pasalic adding the visitors’ third, but Liverpool now require a huge fightback at Stadio di Bergamo.

Team news

Jürgen Klopp made six changes to Liverpool’s line-up, with Curtis Jones – making his first start since February – among the players to come in.

Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Stefan Bajcetic and Diogo Jota returned to the matchday squad as substitutes.

Liverpool: Kelleher, Gomez, Endo (Jota, 76), Van Dijk, Konate, Nunez (Diaz, 60), Mac Allister, Jones (Szoboszlai, 46), Gakpo, Elliott (Salah, 46), Tsimikas (Robertson, 46).

Unused subs: Adrian, Gravenberch, Clark, Bajcetic, Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Bradley.

First half

Atalanta could, and perhaps should, have gone ahead inside the opening three minutes when the ball ricocheted into the path of Pasalic no more than six yards out, but Caoimhin Kelleher spread himself to make a brave save.

A decent spell from the Reds followed. Jones slipped in Darwin Nunez with a weighted, slide-rule pass, only for the No.9 to scuff his attempt at a lifted finish, before Elliott went so close with a precise, curled effort that hit both the underside of the crossbar and post prior to bouncing to safety.

Jones then shot wide after Nunez had delivered a deep cross from the byline and, having been on the back foot, Atalanta sprung forward and scored as Davide Zappacosta’s pull-back was met by Scamacca, whose finish squirmed under Kelleher and into the net.

And only a fine Kelleher stop, the goalkeeper this time denying Teun Koopmeiners, prevented Liverpool from falling further behind before the half-time whistle.

Second half

Klopp made a triple substitution at the break, and the introduction of Andy Robertson, Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai injected vigour into Liverpool’s play in the early stages of the second half.

Robertson provided the corner from which Virgil van Dijk cleared the bar with a header and a Salah snapshot, following determined work by Nunez to keep the ball alive, was turned wide by Juan Musso.

Nunez sliced a shot over after being fed by Cody Gakpo and Klopp then twisted again, with Luis Diaz the next reinforcement called upon from the bench.

However, immediately after the Colombian had entered the fray, Atalanta hit the Reds with a counter-punch. Again, Scamacca was the scorer, the striker this time guiding home a first-time hit from Charles De Ketelaere’s cross.

Jota’s long-awaited return from injury arrived 14 minutes from time and soon after, Salah finished from Robertson's pass, only for the offside flag to be raised.

And, from the Reds appearing to have halved their arrears, their task in the tie was then complicated further when Pasalic converted the rebound after Kelleher had saved from Marten de Roon.

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