Gewiss Stadium forms the backdrop for the return leg of a one-sided Europa League quarter-final tie between Atalanta and Liverpool. Incredible scenes at Anfield last weekend saw La Dea upset the apple cart and claim an overwhelming 3-0 victory, setting one foot in their second European semi-finals.
Gianluca Scamacca’s double, followed by Mario Pasalic’s late tap-in, left Anfield on the edge of despair as Atalanta won their second European outing on Merseyside ‘to nil.’ After doing most of the heavy lifting in England, Gian Piero Gasperini’s men are back in Italy to get the job done and maintain their European dream.
However, Atalanta’s dress rehearsal for this crunch fixture didn’t go to plan. Serie A minnows Hellas Verona fought back from a 2-0 halftime deficit to hold La Dea to a 2-2 draw in Bergamo on Monday, throwing a dent in their hopes of overhauling a four-point gap on fifth-placed Roma.
There’s no time to dwell on that fiasco as they must quickly turn their attention to Liverpool’s visit. Atalanta can’t afford to underestimate their visitors despite a comforting lead. A 5-0 demolition at the hands of Jurgen Klopp’s side in their only previous clash at the Gewiss Stadium in November 2020 should be a stark reminder that they can’t rest on their laurels.
Liverpool will have an added incentive to do the unthinkable and turn this tie on its head after losing their stranglehold on the Premier League’s summit last Sunday. Bottom-half Crystal Palace stunned Anfield with a 1-0 win, demoting them to third, two points below perennial champions Manchester City.
Match Preview
Atalanta
Atalanta put on a remarkable performance last Thursday to deny Liverpool a 250th European win and land on the winning pages of the history books. They have progressed from both previous European two-legged ties when winning the first leg on the road, suggesting a semi-final berth is a mere formality.
If that’s not encouraging enough, Gasperini’s troops can draw further inspiration from their stellar home record in the Europa League. They have only lost once in their last 22 games in Bergamo in Europe’s second-tier competition (W13, D8).
But the Gewiss Stadium has recently been a feeble fortress, with Atalanta blowing hot and cold across their last three competitive home outings (W1, D1, L1). All those matches saw over 2.5 goals and both teams on the scoreboard, highlighting the potential for an action-packed contest.
Liverpool
Klopp’s swansong season at Anfield was supposed to add several pieces of silverware to Liverpool’s glittering trophy cabinet. However, such hopes have fallen apart in less than seven days unless they can turn the script into what would be one of the most fascinating comebacks in European history.
Liverpool’s 21st appearance in the European semi-finals hinges on defying an ominous tradition that has seen them exit continental competitions when losing the first leg at home on both previous occasions. The Reds must score at least three goals to take this tie into extra-time, a feat they’ve only achieved four times on their last 20 European travels.
Writings are on the wall, yet netting multiple goals in their last three away matches will uphold Liverpool fans’ belief in a comeback. But they failed to keep a clean sheet in that sequence, which could prove detrimental to their bid to send Atalanta packing.
Team News
With Jose Luis Palomino and Giorgio Scalvini out of contention for the matchday squad, Atalanta could turn to their captain, Marten de Roon, to fill the vacancy at the back. Sead Kolasinac is back to the fold after skipping last week’s trip to England, but he should remain on the bench.
On the other hand, Joel Matip and Thiago Alcantara are the only high-profile absentees. There’s still a question mark over Conor Bradley’s head, but Liverpool will have that void covered now that Trent Alexander-Arnold is back to full fitness. Unlike the first leg, Klopp can call upon his first-choice goalkeeper, Alisson Becker, and talismanic forward Diogo Jota.
Atalanta vs Liverpool Potential Lineups
Atalanta (3-4-1-2): Juan Musso; Marten de Roon, Berat Djimsiti, Isak Hien; Davide Zappacosta, Mario Pasalic, Ederson, Matteo Ruggeri; Teun Koopmeiners; Gianluca Scamacca, Charles De Ketelaere.
Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson Becker; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson; Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Harvey Elliott; Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz.
Atalanta vs Liverpool Prediction
We wouldn’t put it past Liverpool to get a consolation win in Bergamo, but Atalanta should qualify for the semi-finals on account of their scintillating first-leg showing.
Prediction: Liverpool Win (Atalanta to progress as aggregate winners)
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