Liverpool-Atalanta is a match valid for the first leg of the Europa League quarterfinals and is played Thursday at 9 p.m.: live TV, likely lineups, predictions.
It couldn’t have gone worse for Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta in the latest draw in Nyon: to make it to play its first Europa League semifinal, La Dea will have to take the scalp of the redoubtable Liverpool, indisputably the main favorite for the final victory. For the Orobici, who must consolidate their European dimension, it will in any case be an important opportunity for growth.
Gasperini reunites with Jurgen Klopp three and a half years after their last confrontation. Yes, Dea and Liverpool clashed in November 2020 in the group stage of the Champions League: in Bergamo, in the first leg, the Reds made the best of things, scrambling the Nerazzurri 5-0, but in the return, with qualification already in the bag, Salah and his teammates relaxed too much and Atalanta achieved a historic success in the temple of Anfield Road (0-2) signed by Gosens and Ilicic. Today the gap is probably even sharper than then, although the Bergamasks are capable of hurting Liverpool and have the opportunity to play the return leg at home, a nontrivial advantage.
The Reds are scary
Of course, it will be crucial to avoid a goleada at Anfield or lose by a goal at most: Atalanta will have to shine especially in their own half of the pitch, preventing Klopp’s men – who smashed a total of 11 goals against hapless Sparta Prague in the round of 16 – from imposing their “hellish” pace.
Liverpool, while fielding several second lines in the cup, has never given the impression of snubbing this competition. Yet it would have good reason to do so, if we consider that it is in the middle of the Premier League title race with Arsenal and Manchester City, three teams packed within a single point. On Sunday, the Reds expended a lot of energy to retake Manchester United in the balanced match at Old Trafford: a draw (2-2) cost them the lone first place, as the others both won. Atalanta, on the other hand, cashed in an unexpected defeat at Cagliari (2-1), a team embroiled in the fight not to relegate, and had not done well even a few days earlier in Florence, losing (1-0) the Coppa Italia semifinal first leg. Since mid-February Gasperini’s men have recorded only two victories, against Sporting in the Europa League and Napoli in the league.
Only one absence for La Dea, that of Scalvini. In attack Scamacca and Miranchuk should play, only bench for De Ketelaere and Lookman. In Liverpool Klopp will field many second lines – the league now takes priority – and the attack will be formed by Salah, Gakpo and Luis Diaz.
The prediction
Atalanta will try to compete with Liverpool on the level of intensity, being perhaps one of the most “English” teams in our league in this respect. It will be complicated, however, to return to Bergamo with a positive result: the total goals could be at least four on the night at Anfield.
Liverpool-Atalanta
likely lineups.
LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Kelleher; Bradley, Quansah, van Dijk, Gomez; Elliott, MacAllister, Jones; Salah, Gakpo, Luis Diaz.
ATALANTA (3-4-1-2): Musso; Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac; Zappacosta, de Roon, Ederson, Ruggeri; Koopmeiners; Miranchuk, Scamacca.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 3-1
