Liverpool bow out despite Salah's early penalty
EUROPEAN DREAM OVER: JURGEN Klopp’s European career with Liverpool came to an end in exiting to Atalanta last night with Mo Salah, as he has been for so many of the legendary wins during his manager’s reign, at the centre of the action as he tasted defeat, for one last time.
Pic: Dan Mullan/Getty Images
JURGEN Klopp’s European career with Liverpool came to an end in exiting to Atalanta last night with Mo Salah, as he has been for so many of the legendary wins during his manager’s reign, at the centre of the action as he tasted defeat, for one last time.
The striker scored an early goal but missed a glorious chance to double Liverpool’s lead before half-time, a miss that, even at the time, felt like an end to his team’s hopes of overcoming a 3-0 first leg deficit in this Europe League quarter-final.
It was an improved Liverpool display, compared to some recent performances, which augurs well for domestic title hopes but this was an anti-climactic way for the former Champions League winner to bow out in Europe.
Salah gave Liverpool a dream start, sparking hopes among the 700 travelling fans and countless thousands at him that this would not be Klopp’s last European stand, after all.
The hope persisted that, after so many unforgettable occasion in the club’s modern history, the German had one more trick, one more implausible and spectacular comeback in his arsenal.
And when Cody Gakpo sent the Egyptian star racing clear, with only home goalkeeper Juan Musso to beat, on 39 minutes, it looked as though Salah was about to make it 2-0 and that would, surely, have put the Reds firmly in control.
But Salah missed; the ball taking an unkind and unflattering touch off his shin as it flew well wide of the Atalanta goal and the Italians had escaped.
The evening had certainly not started in the way the upstart Serie A side would have wanted, Liverpool taking the lead from the penalty spot with just seven minutes on the clock.
The move started with a superb pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold that flew 70 yards and sent Luis Diaz scurrying into space and able to cross into the area.
It was the England full-back’s first start since February and he was in the process of showing just how much Klopp has missed him in the two-plus months of his injury absence.
But, here, Diaz’s cross eventually ended back up with Alexander-Arnold on the right-side of the area and his cross struck Matteo Ruggeri on the arm, the Italian knowing little about it but undoubtedly guilty under the letter of the law.
Salah, Liverpool’s all-time leading European goalscorer, was not likely to miss a chance like this and nor did he, striking a confident penalty past Musso for his 24th goal of the season.
Liverpool were sparkling, unrecognisable from the side that performed so pathetically in last week’s first leg, losing 3-0 at Anfield and leaving themselves on the brink of elimination.
Gakpo almost played in Diaz, Dominik Szoboszlai struck a hard shot at the keeper and Alexander-Arnold sprayed the ball around dangerously.
But Atalanta retained a threat, as Liverpool were all too aware after last week, with the hosts often contributing to their own problems.
A Diaz mistake, for example, allowed Gianluca Scamacca the chance to almost put Aleksey Miranchuk in on goal, while the excellent Teun Koopmeiners had the ball in the Liverpool net on 40 minutes but was judged offside.
A solitary Atalanta goal would have killed of hopes of that fightback and it almost arrived soon after the restart when Miranchuk swung and missed at Davide Zappacosta’s cross and Ederson stuck the loose ball straight at Alisson.
Generally, however, Liverpool’s defence was holding firm, with Alexander-Arnold’s return marking just the third time this season that Klopp has been able to name what amounts to his first-choice back four and goalkeeper.
But while they held firm, Liverpool needed goals and, as has been the case all too often recently, Klopp’s side was beginning to notch up the misses.
On 55 minutes, Gakpo beat the offside trap but failed to get off a shot, before Salah ended that move by straying offside, Soon after, Virgil van Dijk headed straight at Musso from a free-kick and the minutes continued to tick.
Liverpool pushed, and accordingly left gaps at the back on occasion, with Koopmeiners testing Alisson again, and Klopp made three changes - including taking off Salah - on 66 minutes. It was the last bold gamble of his European career with the Reds and one that failed.
: Musso 7; Djimsiti 6, Hien 6, Kolasinac 7; Zappacosta 9, Ederson 7 (Pasalic 75, 5), de Roon 6, Ruggieri 6; Koopmeiners 8; Miranchuk 7 (Lookman 79, 5), Scamacca 6 (De Ketelaere 75, 5). Substitutes (not used) Toloi, Holm, Toure, Bakker, Adopo, Carnesecchi, Rossi, Hateboer, Bonfanti.
: Alisson 6; Alexander-Arnold 8 (Gomez 72, 5), Konate 6, van Dijk 7, Robertson 6 (Danns 79); Szoboszlai 6 (Elliott 66, 6), Mac Allister 6, Jones 7; Salah 6 (Nunez 66, 5), Gakpo 7, Diaz 6 (Jota 66, 6). Substitutes (not used) Endo, Adrian, Tsimikas, Gravenberch, Clark, Kelleher, Quansah.
F Letexier (France) 7
