Liverpool did lose in a “most-beautiful way” as Jurgen Klopp demanded - but they still suffered their worst European exit under him.
Not even Klopp’s poetry could hide this humiliation and this is a major black mark in his final season. Klopp had only lost to the two Madrids and Sevilla in his eight European campaigns at Anfield and nobody expected Atalanta to add their name to that list.
As spirited as Liverpool were last night, the damage was clearly done at Anfield and even the Reds, with their fabled powers of recovery, could not pull this one back. Certainly not the Liverpool of now and all they had to show for their endeavours was an early Mohamed Salah penalty.
That’s the only goal they have managed in their last three games and they are not back to their best yet. Liverpool were better than they had been at Anfield a week ago, although that was not hard, and Klopp will hope they are climbing out of their low which has rocked their season.
There will be no last hurrah for Klopp and Liverpool at the Europa League final in Dublin on May 22 and instead his final goodbye will be the Reds’ last Premier League game at home to Wolves three days earlier.
There is still the league and Liverpool face Fulham on Sunday, but the Reds have a few more gears to go through yet. Liverpool ran out of puff in the second half and Trent Alexander-Arnold, their best player last night, could only last just over 70 minutes as he builds up his fitness.
Last week’s 3-0 win at Anfield was monumental for Atalanta and traders outside the Gewiss Stadium did a roaring trade selling scarves commemorating the victory. The job was not totally done yet and Klopp made six changes in a sign that Liverpool were ultra serious after committing the cardinal sin of being complacent in the first leg.
Liverpool needed an early goal and they got it when Matteo Ruggeri handled Alexander-Arnold’s cross. Alexander-Arnold had the freedom of the park when Liverpool were in possession and after finding Andy Robertson with a raking pass, he crossed from the right and Ruggeri handled after the Atalanta midfielder got a weak header to Dominik Szoboszlai’s ball.
VAR confirmed the blatant handball and Salah dispatched the seventh-minute spot-kick for his 24th goal of the season. Now Liverpool were rocking and Szoboszlai warmed Juan Musso’s hands with a drive before Berat Gjimshiti cut out the danger when Cody Gakpo combined with Salah to play in Luis Diaz.
For all Liverpool’s pressure, Atalanta posed a sporadic threat and Aleksei Miranchuk dragged a left-foot shot across goal before Teun Koopmeiners had an effort disallowed for offside. Salah should have added a second for the Reds when he was played through by Gakpo, but the out-of-sorts striker lifted the ball over the advancing Musso and well wide of the goal.
Atalanta managed their first shot on target when Alisson held Ederson’s shot and that was a rare attack from the home side. Liverpool kept up the pressure and Virgil van Dijk’s header from Alexander-Arnold’s free-kick was easily saved by Musso.
Atalanta looked dangerous on the break and Koopmeiners turned well, only to shoot straight at Alisson after Gakpo lost possession. Liverpool tired and Atalanta knew one of the most-famous results in their European history was theirs.
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