Liverpool's Europa League adventure ends with a whimper

Despite making a great start in Italy, Liverpool ran out of steam in their Europa League Quarter-Final, with last week's damaging 3 - 0 home defeat proving too big a deficit to overturn.

• Jurgen Klopp makes six changes from the team that played so poorly against Atalanta last week
• Alexander-Arnold starts his first game since February
• Liverpool wins a penalty in the 5th minute after Alexander-Arnold's cross hits an Atalanta player's arm
• Mo Salah cooly converts the penalty to give Liverpool the perfect start
• Liverpool pressed and probed for a second goal, with Salah shooting wide when one-on-one with the keeper
• Atalanta thought they had equalised through Koopmeiners but the offside flag saved Liverpool

HALF-TIME - Atalanta 0 - 1 Liverpool

• Into the second half, Liverpool struggled to exert the same pressure, failing to create any chances in the opening 20 minutes
• Jurgen Klopp makes a triple change after an hour, with Diaz, Salah, and Szoboszlai coming off, for Elliott, Jota, and Nunez.
• Youngster Jayden Danns comes on for his European debut with 10 minutes to go
• Liverpool go out with a whimper, failing to create any chances in the second half

FULL-TIME - Atalanta 0 - 1 Liverpool

Match Summary

Liverpool produced .

The Reds went into tonight's game knowing they needed to produce a much better performance than when the two teams met last week at Anfield, and they made the perfect when Alexander-Arnold's cross struck the arm of Atalanta defender Matteo Ruggeri, with the referee immediately pointing to the spot.  Despite a VAR check, the decision stood, and Mo Salah calmly stepped up to stroke the ball home, and give Liverpool the perfect start.

And it was a start that Jurgen Klopp's men looked to build on, playing with an intensity and drive that has been sadly missing in recent weeks.  Even so, the Reds were still guilty of giving the ball away on several occasions, allowing Atalanta to break forward and grow in confidence at the same time.  It was a pattern that was to continue throughout the first half, with Liverpool probing and pressing, but Atalanta carrying a threat on the break.

Then, on 38 minutes, Gakpo played a clever ball over the top for Mo Salah, who found himself racing clear of the last defender but could only shin his effort wide of the back post.  It was the type of chance Salah would normally finish with ease, but it once again highlighted how the Egyptian forward is still not back to his best.  And the miss was nearly punished by Atalanta, but Koopmieners effort was ruled out for offside.

As the game wore on, Liverpool began to run out of ideas, with Atalanta happy to concede fouls and break up the play, with the Reds failing to create any clear-cut chances in the first 20 minutes of the second half.  That prompted a triple change from Klopp, with Nunez, Jota, and Elliott all coming on, but the substitutions failed to galvanize Liverpool, with the Reds failing to create any clear-cut chances in the second half.

It ended 1 - 0 to Liverpool, so at least Jurgen Klopp's final European game in charge of the Reds ended with a victory, but it has been a sad way for Klopp's final European adventure to end, after so many glorious memories across the last 8 years.

Atalanta vs Liverpool match stats (Europa League Quarter-Finals second leg)

Possession
Atalanta 30% - 70% Liverpool

Total Shots
Atalanta 8 - 10 Liverpool

Shots on Target
Atalanta 2 - 5 Liverpool

Corners
Atalanta 2 - 1 Liverpool

Fouls
Atalanta 14 - 10 Liverpool

Man of the Match

Trent Alexander-Arnold - 7/10 - Was Liverpool's best player in the first half, showing what the Reds have been missing in recent weeks.

What's Next

Liverpool travels to the Capital on Sunday to face in-form Fulham in the Premier League.  Kick-off is 16300 GMT.

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