Liverpool’s aspirations of concluding Jurgen Klopp’s tenure with a European trophy have been dashed following their inability to overturn a first-leg deficit against Atalanta.
Following a 3-0 loss at Anfield last Thursday, the Reds journeyed to Italy, where despite dominating the game for extensive periods, they fell short of the necessary goals and suffered a 3-1 aggregate defeat.
A glimmer of hope arose with Mohamed Salah’s seventh-minute penalty, awarded after a Trent Alexander-Arnold cross was handled.
However, as the first half approached its conclusion, the Egyptian forward missed wide when presented with a one-on-one opportunity, and Klopp’s team struggled to carve out significant chances in the second half.
This culmination marks the conclusion of a challenging 12-day period for Liverpool, which saw them draw at Manchester United and suffer a home defeat to Crystal Palace, relinquishing their lead at the summit of the Premier League.
Attention will now shift back to the title race, with Liverpool currently occupying third place, trailing second-placed Arsenal by two points and league leaders Manchester City.
With the league championship now their sole remaining opportunity to provide Klopp with a storybook conclusion to his eight and a half-year tenure on Merseyside, Liverpool aims to build upon their Carabao Cup triumph in February.
Liverpool lack creativity as season threatens to peter out
Ultimately, Liverpool’s defeat in this match stemmed from their performance in the first leg at Anfield.
Jurgen Klopp emphasized the need for a “complete game” in Italy to advance, but despite maintaining over 70% possession, Liverpool fell short of their best form.
They lacked penetration in attack, and with Darwin Nunez initially on the bench, they struggled to exploit space behind the Atalanta defense and create openings.
Klopp introduced Nunez, Diogo Jota, and Harvey Elliott with 25 minutes remaining, but it had minimal impact, as Liverpool managed only two shots in the second half.
Their expected goals tally was a mere 0.11 in the latter period, underscoring their inefficiency in the final third.
Despite sitting sixth in Serie A, 32 points behind league leaders Inter Milan, Atalanta displayed resilience in defense and ingenuity in attack, deserving their progression to the semi-finals.
Klopp has led Liverpool to four European finals during his tenure, but a fifth appearance is now out of reach.
With their season potentially faltering, Liverpool faces three crucial away matches in the Premier League over the next nine days, which could shape the trajectory of their campaign moving forward.