Atalanta ransack Anfield to leave Liverpool's Europa League dreams on life support
Lacklustre Liverpool were stunned 3-0 by Atalanta in a Europa League quarter-final collapse that could prove to be Jurgen Klopp's last European night at Anfield. This competition offers the chance to bring the curtain down on his German's reign with a European trophy on May 22, but their hopes of making the Dublin showpiece are in jeopardy. Liverpool lacked creativity and coherence in the first leg of a quarter-final that Atalanta are in complete control of heading back to Bergamo thanks to Gianluca Scamacca's brace and a late Mario Pasalic goal. It represented the Reds' first Anfield loss since falling to Real Madrid last February and compounded the Premier League hopefuls' potentially costly 2-2 draw at bitter rivals Manchester United on Sunday. Harvey Elliott had hit the woodwork before Scamacca's first-half shot squirmed past Caoimhin Kelleher, who was beaten again by the former West Ham striker after Liverpool had started the second half brightly. Livid Klopp bellowed and waved his arms as he called on fans to lift the flat Anfield atmosphere, but this was Atalanta's night and Pasalic wrapped up an unforgettable triumph for the visitors. The warning signs had been there for Liverpool from the start. Elliott appeared to be fouled but Atalanta were allowed to continue forward in the third minute, with the ball eventually falling for Pasalic to take a shot from six yards that Kelleher saved with his face.
