Atalanta progressively calmed Liverpool’s initial push, which within seven minutes already had an advantage on the scoreboard, minimized the ‘reds’ virtues and secured qualification for the semifinals of the Europa League, in which they will face Benfica or Marseilles.
The energy of the English representative, who needed to overcome the 0-3 with which the Anfield match ended, was diluted little by little. He went from more to less and the lack of aim and haste ended up reducing his options, and he was left without reaching his twenty-first European semi-final.
Jurgen Klopp came to grips with reality shortly after the hour mark when with only a one-goal advantage and no apparent possibility of achieving the other two to force extra time, he withdrew his best players from the field. He removed Mohamed Salah, Hungarian Dominik Szoboszlai and Luis Díaz.
He intends to speed up his options in other challenges, such as the Premier League, Liverpool, who started the match like a shot and quickly took the lead, just as they needed. It was a cross from Trent Alexander Arnold into the area that Matteo Ruggeri intercepted with an arm. It was a penalty. Salah transformed it.
They were the best and almost the only moments of inspiration for the English, who had another chance shortly before the quarter-hour mark in an individual action by Luis Díaz who ran into goalkeeper Juan Musso.
Atalanta, who ended up clinching their second European semi-final, were maintaining their form as best they could. He was saved from a one-on-one that Salah had shortly before the break and that could have changed the situation. The Egyptian faced the local goal alone. He tried to raise the ball over the goalkeeper, who left his area, but finished poorly and threw the ball wide.
The energy of the ‘red’ team lasted until then, as they faced the clash with two defeats in a row – against Crystal Palace in the Premier and in the first leg against Atalanta -, plus a draw against Manchester United in the English league, and that It dropped radically in the second half.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s team shook off the dominance of their rival and began to find solutions in attack, like the one Ederson had at the beginning of the second half and which ended with a low shot that Alisson caught, or that of Teun Koopmeiners with a centered shot.
Klopp gave up and in the 67th minute he removed Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Luis Díaz, and took off Diogo Jota, Darwin Núñez and Harvey Elliott. Then he also booked Trent Alexander Arnold.
Gianluca Scamacca had the tie, but it ended very badly, with a shot into the stands. The game was open and the goal could have gone either way, but neither was lucky. Liverpool gave in and Atalanta secured their goal with less uncertainty and stress than expected.
– Datasheet:
0 – Atalanta: John Musso; Berat Djimsiti, Isaac Hien, Sead Kolasinac; Davide Zappacosta, Marten De Roon, Ederson (Mario Pasalic, m.75), Matteo Ruggeri; Teun Koopmeiners, Aleksey Miranchuk (Ademola Lookman, 79 m) and Gianluca Scamacca (Charles De Ketelaere, 75 m).
1 – Liverpool: Alisson; Trent Alexander Arnold (Joe Gomez, m.73), Ibrahima Konaté, Virgil Van Dijk, Andy Robertson (Jayden Danns, m.79); Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai (Harvey Elliott, m.67), Curtis Jones; Mohamed Salah (Darwin Núñez, m.67), Luis Díaz (Diogo Jota, m.67) and Cody Gakpo.
Goal: 0-1, m.7: Mohamed Salah, de penalty.
Referee: Francoise Letexier (FRA). He showed yellow cards to Isak Hien, Teun Koopmeiners and Davide Zappacosta, from Atalanta, and Luis Díaz, from Liverpool.
Incidents: second leg of the Europa League quarterfinals played at the Gewiss Staium in Bergamo. EFE
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