The beautiful game has seen the most improbable comebacks happen. Can Liverpool do that, too?
The Premier League giants were stunned by Atalanta in the first leg of their Europa League match at Anfield, 3-0.
Manager Jurgen Klopp described his side's play as "bad."
He also pointed out where everything went wrong for them.
"It's easy-Atalanta are causing many teams problems with the way they defend," he said in a press conference.
"Maybe I'm wrong, but I cannot now remember situations where they outplayed us; it's just they won the ball, and they went from there, so it's a good idea. You need a lot of tactical discipline to do what they did. They play that man-marking over the whole pitch-Ederson pressing whoever, Curtis [Jones] in our own box, stuff like that. That was the reason why they won the game because in these moments you just want to win the ball."
Klopp knows what to fix in the squad, but could they do it?
The match will kick off at 8 PM BST on April 18 at the Stadio di Bergamo.
Liverpool vs Atalanta 2nd Leg Preview
Atalanta has twice won against the Reds at Anfield, with a combined score of 5-0. The first one happened in 2020, while the second took place last week.
Liverpool, for their part, had success, too, at Bergamo. The English club trashed their Italian counterparts, 5-0.
Klopp's side has not been a good road team lately, conceding six goals against Manchester United.
Atalanta's defense of their turf is decent. They lost just once in their last 11.
Liverpool tumbled in their weekend outing against Crystal Palace.
Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini warns that the Thursday game should not be taken lightly, given the English club's history of producing goals quickly.
"I've seen Liverpool score three in six minutes in a Champions League final against Milan," he said.
"We knew after Anfield it wasn't over, but Thursday will be an historic appointment for the city, the club and our players. We know another great performance is needed, but the objective is so prestigious that we'll find the energy."
Fans should also consider that Atalanta was unable to carry the momentum in a game against Serie A's No. 16 team, Hellas Verona, settling only for a 2-2 draw.
Team news
Liverpool will have more reinforcements for the second leg. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Diogo Jota, and Alisson are all set to join the team after playing over the weekend.
However, Thiago Alcantara, Ben Doak, and Joel Matip will continue to be out.
As for Atalanta, they could feature the same squad they had in the first leg.
Sead Kolasinac played from the bench against Verona and is expected to be available against Liverpool.
The defense could suffer a little, though, as center-back Giorgio Scalvini is confirmed out.
Liverpool vs Atalanta 2nd Leg prediction
Atalanta has a history of fumbling games but they have the advantage of just focusing on defense.
Klopp has emphasized how formidable their defense is, and that will be too tall an obstacle for the Reds to overcome.
Liverpool will win, 2-0, but that will not be enough to advance.
Related article: Jurgen Klopp Has Brutal Words for Loss to Atalanta in Europa League-Biggest Comeback in History of UEL
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