Atalanta (A) - EL Quarter Final, 2nd leg - Thu 18th Apr 2024 (8:00pm)

[Trumo]

Work-rate. Incisiveness. Nous.

 

I don't ask for much.

 

This is how it's gonna be. Build from the ground up.

 

How do we treat this one? We made a right pig's ear of the first leg, making any potential progress in the Europa League the most unlikeliest of scenarios. Defend like we have been, and it's done. Attack like we have been, and it's done. So tightening up and sharpening up are key if we are to stage another European miracle. We've been 3-0 down at half time to some Italians before. Atalanta have been on the fringes of a Champions League place in Serie A all season, but though they are well-organised and pose an attacking threat, we made them look like cultured European heavyweights at times last week.

 

It's not always thus. Our last visit to Bergamo, in November 2020, showcased us at our dominant and ruthless best. Diogo was a new addition to our attack, and he underlined just how much of a goal threat he can provide. He's such an unusual player and that in almost every aspect of attacking play, he doesn't seem to pass the eye test as elite level. And yet he is deceptively strong in the air, has a turn of pace, can dribble his way past defenders with no little skill, can pick out players in a better scoring position, and has a precision to his finishing that belies what often looks like a scruffy shooting technique. And he works his bollocks off. He bagged himself a hat-trick that night. His first came when an inch-perfect through ball by Trent allowed him to shrug off his marker and dink the keeper. His second came soon afterwards when Joe found him just inside the box on the left. He brought the ball down and cut inside the defender before firing low and hard inside the near post. We were flying, especially on the counter. Into the second half, and Mo got in on the act. It came from an Atalanta corner which we cleared. Curtis hammered the ball away into Mo's path, still in our own half, and he simply bombed forward, steadied himself, cut inside the defender and curled the ball into the far corner. You know what he's going to do, the defenders know what he's going to do, but back then they still had no answer for it. Sadio got the goal of the night when he was played in via another inch-perfect through ball. The keeper came flying out to narrow the angle, but Sadio dinked the ball over him and into the net anyway. Again, we've seen Sadio do that on many an occasion. There was still time for Sadio to pick out Diogo's run beyond a beleaguered Atalanta back line. The Portuguese rounded the keeper and rolled the ball into an empty net. 5-0 and we could have had more. However, for most of the last 10 minutes, we either switched off completely or Atalanta found another gear all of a sudden. They created some great chances and were unfortunate that Ali and/or the woodwork came to our rescue. I think we carried that sloppiness into the home fixture.

 

It's hard to know if Atalanta will look to settle the tie early, or play to keep things cagey, hoping that we remain both porous on the counter and profligate in attack. As unlikely as a turnaround is, we have to go for it, and use the game as the first step towards righting the wrongs of the past month or so. I know we need to keep something back for the league (not least because we travel to Fulham and Everton over the next week), but that becomes a bigger challenge if we go into the final stages of the league campaign displaying the same frailties of recent weeks. Being out of Europe and fucking it up in the league would be such a dampener on Jurgen's farewell tour. Try everything we can to stay in Europe, and use it to re-energise the rest of the season. The start of the match in particular needs to be managed far better. Complacency, stupidity and zero hunger have no place at Liverpool FC. Maximum motivation, concentration, attitude and application from first minute to last. Make the semi finals and write another chapter in this club's storied history in European competition. Get it done!

[Bruce Spanner]

0-9 then back to the league with our tails up.

 

No fucking about.

 

If brown envolopes have to change hands, sobeit, play the cunts at their own game.

[Anubis]

Just win. By enough for us to go through.

[an tha]

I am utterly convinced we are going to progress from this tie.

[El Rojo]

12 minutes ago, an tha said:

I am utterly convinced we are going to progress from this tie.

I’m going to get absolutely bladdered if we do.

[Jairzinho]

Would take a scrappy one nil in this. 

[an tha]

41 minutes ago, El Rojo said:

I’m going to get absolutely bladdered if we do.

Totally justified.

[an tha]

33 minutes ago, Jairzinho said:

Would take a scrappy one nil in this. 

On penalties aye!

[Red Shift]

We chuck everything at it including the kitchen sink. I have no idea what Jurgen & Pep have in mind as a 1st 11, but whoever gets the green light gives 120% from kick off. It’s half time and Jurgen has had plenty of time for the team talk. Now the response. A win by at least 4 goals. We’ve done that a lot under Klopp. Up The Mighty Reds.

[El Rojo]

9 minutes ago, Red Shift said:

We chuck everything at it including the kitchen sink. I have no idea what Jurgen & Pep have in mind as a 1st 11, but whoever gets the green light gives 120% from kick off. It’s half time and Jurgen has had plenty of time for the team talk. Now the response. A win by at least 4 goals. We’ve done that a lot under Klopp. Up The Mighty Reds.

 

Debatable that Nunez will start. 

[Dapower]

An early goal and then another and it’s on we basically need them to shit themselves so it’s up to us how we approach it because they will be in no rush 

[AngryOfTuebrook]

This is either going to be one for the ages or (more likely) feel like a funeral in the rain.

 

We're almost certainly not going to win this by 4 goals. That's almost impossible.

 

And yet, that little voice in the back of my head keeps saying Yeah, but imagine if... 

 

Just get these beat Reds (on aggregate, please).

[Scott_M]

10 hours ago, AngryOfTuebrook said:

This is either going to be one for the ages or (more likely) feel like a funeral in the rain.

 

We're almost certainly not going to win this by 4 goals. That's almost impossible.

 

And yet, that little voice in the back of my head keeps saying Yeah, but imagine if... 

 

Just get these beat Reds (on aggregate, please).

PSG last night showed what is possible. 
 

We’re a better side than PSG and Atalanta aren’t as good as Barca.

 

But yes, I agree, it’s a long shot.

 

If we…

 

1) Play well.

2) Score first.

3) Get some confidence back. 
 

…then I’ll be satisfied whatever the outcome of the tie. 

[SasaS]

The only thing going for us is someone will be on the receiving end when the crazy finishing bad luck and lack of confidence finally stops. The problem may be we don't have any clean sheets in Europe this year and often concede early.

 

We seem to be expecting a crazy game, like last year in Madrid, end may end up as a meek surrender again.

[Kevin D]

It will be great for the public here at Atalanta to see us. They must be wondering what this team everyone is talking about are all about and now they’ll see. We’ll be wonderful.

[Trojan1892]

A portoesque demolition would be nice but knowing us we’ll go a goal down before we actually wake the fuck up, which has been us all season.

[col06]

A couple of early goals then who knows its an outside chance like

[Pete]

6-2 reds. 

[Dapower]

Don’t forget fans are in the ground this time 

[John102]

Keep a clean sheet and score a lot of goals. See where that takes us.

[joe_fishfish]

Can see this being a 0-0 tonight. Although if we play like we did in the first leg we will be lucky to score nil.

[sir roger]

Definitely will be 0-0 until at least tomorrow night

[joe_fishfish]

Haha fucking hell, that’s a shocker 

[johnsusername]

Traditional 442. Big man/little man up front. Long balls pumped into the box.

 

0-4 and back home for roast dinners and a pint of Marstons all round. 

[DaveT]

I have zero hope of turning this around- they don’t need to play any differently than they did at Anfield. Any kind of win would at least restore a bit of dignity after last week’s shitshow.