Match ends, Liverpool 0, Atalanta 3.
Liverpool face a huge battle to stay in the Europa League after suffering a shock home defeat to Atalanta in the quarter-final first leg at Anfield.
Former West Ham forward Gianluca Scamacca scored in each half, before ex-Chelsea player Mario Pasalic added a late third goal to ensure the Italians start as strong favourites to reach the semi-finals when the sides meet in next Thursday’s return in Bergamo.
Scamacca broke the deadlock in the 38th minute after Caoimhin Kelleher allowed his low drive to creep under him.
On a deeply frustrating night for below-par Liverpool, Darwin Nunez missed two big chances, while Harvey Elliott’s curling attempt struck the bar before dropping on to the post.
Mohamed Salah, who started on the bench, forced a fine save from visiting keeper Juan Musso after Kelleher had atoned for his error to stop the unmarked Teun Koopmeiners from doubling Atalanta’s lead.
The Reds were flat and lacked urgency in their play, and punished for some dreadful defending.
Scamacca took advantage of being left unmarked by doubling the lead with a crisp finish on the hour, while Pasalic’s late strike came after Ederson was afforded too much space to shoot and, when Kelleher made a save, the Croatian snapped up the rebound.
More to follow.
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Atalanta
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Squad number1Player nameMusso
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Squad number19Player nameDjimsiti
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Squad number4Player nameHien
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Squad number15Player namede Roon
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Squad number77Player nameZappacosta
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Squad number13Player nameÉderson
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Squad number8Player namePasalic
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Squad number22Player nameRuggeri
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Squad number7Player nameKoopmeiners
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Squad number17Player nameDe Ketelaere
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Squad number90Player nameScamacca
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Squad number59Player nameAl Miranchuk
Line-ups
Liverpool
Formation 4-3-3
- 62Kelleher
- 2Gomez
- 5Konaté
- 4van Dijk
- 21TsimikasSubstituted forRobertsonat 45′minutes
- 10Mac Allister
- 3EndoSubstituted forJotaat 76′minutes
- 17JonesSubstituted forSzoboszlaiat 45′minutes
- 19ElliottSubstituted forSalahat 45′minutes
- 9NúñezSubstituted forDíazat 60′minutes
- 18Gakpo
Substitutes
- 7Díaz
- 8Szoboszlai
- 11Salah
- 13Adrián
- 20Jota
- 26Robertson
- 38Gravenberch
- 42Clark
- 43Bajcetic
- 66Alexander-Arnold
- 78Quansah
- 84Bradley
Atalanta
Formation 3-4-1-2
- 1Musso
- 19Djimsiti
- 4HienBooked at 25mins
- 15de Roon
- 77Zappacosta
- 13dos Santos Lourenco da Silva
- 8Pasalic
- 22RuggeriBooked at 77mins
- 7Koopmeiners
- 17De KetelaereSubstituted forAl Miranchukat 89′minutes
- 90Scamacca
Substitutes
- 2Tolói
- 3Holm
- 10Touré
- 11Lookman
- 20Bakker
- 25Adopo
- 29Carnesecchi
- 31Rossi
- 33Hateboer
- 43Bonfanti
- 59Al Miranchuk
Live Text
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Second Half ends, Liverpool 0, Atalanta 3.
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Attempt blocked. Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Andy Robertson with a cross.
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Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Marten de Roon.
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Attempt missed. Diogo Jota (Liverpool) header from very close range is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Cody Gakpo with a cross.
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Attempt saved. Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Joe Gomez.
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Ibrahima Konaté (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Gianluca Scamacca (Atalanta).
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Substitution, Atalanta. Aleksey Miranchuk replaces Charles De Ketelaere.
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Attempt missed. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Diogo Jota.
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Attempt saved. Luis Díaz (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Andy Robertson.
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Attempt blocked. Andy Robertson (Liverpool) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is blocked. Assisted by Cody Gakpo with a through ball.
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Goal! Liverpool 0, Atalanta 3. Mario Pasalic (Atalanta) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner.
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Attempt saved. Éderson (Atalanta) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
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Diogo Jota (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Isak Hien (Atalanta).
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Ibrahima Konaté (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Gianluca Scamacca (Atalanta).
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Attempt missed. Gianluca Scamacca (Atalanta) header from very close range is just a bit too high. Assisted by Berat Djimsiti with a headed pass following a set piece situation.
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Hand ball by Ibrahima Konaté (Liverpool).
