How Atalanta shocked Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield in Europa League quarter-final first-leg match

Russian attacking midfielder Aleksey Miranchuk has assisted in each of his last three Europa League appearances for Atalanta (four in total), now his joint-most assists in a season in the competition (also four for Lokomotiv Moscow in 2017-18).

He is also one of four players to assist more than four goals in a Europa League season for two different clubs, along with Juan Mata (Chelsea and Man United), Lior Refaelov (Royal Antwerp and Club Brugge) and Mesut Özil (Werder Bremen and Arsenal).

Meanwhile, Harvey Elliott could be a key player for Klopp’s men. He has assisted four goals in his last two Europa League appearances for Liverpool.

The only Englishman to assist five goals in a Europa League season was Bukayo Saka in 2019-20 for Arsenal.

Can Liverpool deliver Jurgen Klopp a Europa League title? It is the one major trophy that has eluded the German in his eight-and-a-half years in charge, losing 3-1 in the final against Sevilla in his first season at Liverpool in 2015-16.

Their home form is imperious, losing only one of their 25 home matches in the Europa League (W19 D5 L1), 3-2 to another Italian opponent in Udinese in October 2012. Liverpool have won their last nine in a row on home soil, with Ajax the last side to win 10 in a row at home.

Liverpool are unbeaten in 90 minutes across their last 13 matches in all competitions, winning 10 and drawing three, and their last competitive defeat at Anfield came 34 games ago, a chastening 5-2 loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League round of 16 last February.

Liverpool are the current favourites to lift the trophy in Dublin in May, doing so in 35.2% of the Opta supercomputer’s simulations.

Opta calculate they are 73% likely to reach the semi-final and 57.8% likely to reach the final.

Wonder what Atalanta will have to say about that...

For the record, Opta believe they have a 27% chance of reaching the semi-final, a 15.5% chance of reaching the final and a 6.9% chance of winning it.

Since Liverpool’s set pieces underwent an overhaul in 2018, there has been a certain type of corner goal that has become synonymous with Jurgen Klopp’s side.

An out-swinger from Trent Alexander-Arnold or Andy Robertson targeting Virgil van Dijk in a central or near post zone has been the most common Liverpool corner goal in the past six years.

“We always come up with a clear plan in how we can make our set pieces count against a particular opponent,” Liverpool assistant, Pep Lijnders, told The Athletic in 2020. “We really spend time on it. It comes with conviction.”

Considering Liverpool’s focus on where they aim their corners, the subsequent shot locations from corners shouldn’t come as a surprise. Dive deeper below...

Ruben Amorim insists there is no agreement in place for him to become Liverpool’s next manager.

Reports earlier this week suggested that the Sporting Lisbon head coach had verbally agreed a contract to succeed Jurgen Klopp this summer.

Senior Anfield figures were adamant that is not the case and now Amorim has denied at a press conference on Thursday that he has held direct talks with Liverpool over the vacancy.

“I did not meet Liverpool for any interview and there’s no agreement — it’s not true,” he said. “Stop with this story. This is the last time I speak about my future.”

It's an interesting question.

With Alisson currently still returning from injury, I suppose there's a shout that Marco Carnesecchi gets in ahead of Liverpool deputy Caoimhin Kelleher. Young defender Giorgio Scalvini would probably line up next to Virgil van Dijk if he were fit.

After that? Maybe Ederson or Teun Koopmeiners as a No 6, with Ademola Lookman vying with Luis Diaz for the left-wing spot and Gianluca Scamacca potentially challenging Darwin Nunez for the centre-forward position.

Otherwise, it's mostly Liverpool. They have the stronger overall squad. But Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini is an expert at constructing teams which collectively are more than the sum of their parts...

Harvey Elliott has said that he is hoping his form for Liverpool will help him force his way into the England squad for this summer’s European Championship.

Elliott has shone at international level for Lee Carsley’s England Under-21s but he has not yet earned a senior call-up.

“I haven’t any (conversations with Gareth Southgate) at the moment. My main priority is just Liverpool,” Elliott said. “If I put in the performances at Liverpool then you never know what will come.

“If I am called upon at the end of the season I will be very happy and honoured, and willing to go. But it’s not going to happen if I’m not putting in the performances here.”

I'd definitely have him over Jordan Henderson...

Liverpool are are now just two ties away from the Europa League final in Dublin in what could be Jurgen Klopp’s final match as manager.

The prospect of Liverpool — who were joined in the quarter-finals by other teams with large fanbases including Marseille, AC Milan, Roma and West Ham United — reaching the final at the Aviva Stadium on Wednesday, May 22, has raised concerns about how the city will cope.

This is especially the case because Liverpool, one of the best-supported teams in Europe, have a large and passionate Irish following.

So what could the issues be with the venue? Tom Burrows explains below.

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A crestfallen Alexis Mac Allister dropped to his haunches at the final whistle. Harvey Elliott lay on the turf and pounded it with his fists. Mohamed Salah’s late penalty may have salvaged a share of the spoils for Liverpool, but there could be no sugar-coating this as a point gained.

Jurgen Klopp’s side arrived at Old Trafford on a mission to avenge their agonising FA Cup exit three weeks earlier. They left with a painful sense of deja vu and a sizeable dent in their Premier League title ambitions.

Once again they were their own worst enemy as their wastefulness in the final third cost them dearly. Once again their dominance wasn’t reflected in the scoreline as they carelessly squandered the opportunity to regain top spot from Arsenal.

Liverpool had 28 shots to Manchester United’s nine and, according to Opta, seven big chances to United's one, while the expected goals (xG) total was 3.59 to 0.71 in their favour. Put simply, they made an absolute mess of it. Here is how - and what they can do about it.

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There will be no flags on the Kop for Liverpool’s Europa League quarter-final first-leg clash with Atalanta at Anfield in protest at rising ticket prices.

Liverpool announced a two per cent increase in the cost of season tickets and members’ tickets for the 2024-25 season last week, sparking an angry reaction from supporters’ groups.

Spion Kop 1906, which organises the banners and flags on the Kop, have decided to take action to make a point to the club’s owners. “We are disappointed in the football club’s decision towards ticket prices for 24-25,” the group’s statement read.

“There is still a chance for the club to hold some positive dialogue with the Supporters’ Board in time for Saturday’s meeting. Until then the supporters have one message: No to ticket price increases.”