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Jurgen Klopp brands Atalanta defeat a 'low point' in Liverpool's season

Jurgen Klopp called Thursday's 3-0 home defeat to Atalanta a "low point" in Liverpool's season as their Europa League hopes were left hanging by a thread. Liverpool looked flat throughout the quarter-final first leg and ended the night perhaps fortunate Atalanta had not taken one of the many late chances they had to add to a lead given to them by Gianluca Scamacca's brace and a late Mario Pasalic goal. Harvey Elliott hit the post in the first half and Mo Salah had a goal ruled out for offside in the second, but Liverpool lacked the spark needed to beat a well-organised Atalanta side, who will be confident of finishing the job next Thursday in Bergamo. Before Klopp can think about that match, he must lift his players for Sunday's visit of Crystal Palace in the tight battle at the top of the Premier League table. "It was a really bad game, oh my God," Klopp said after Liverpool's first home defeat in nearly 14 months. "We started well, really well and then didn't continue. They broke, they scored and we just lost the plot a little bit.

Villa take slender lead to Lille in Conference League

Aston Villa beat Lille 2-1 in the first leg of their Europa Conference League quarter-final at Villa Park. Goals in either half from Ollie Watkins and John McGinn saw Villa lead their first European last-eight tie since 1998 and give boss Unai Emery victory in his 1,000th match as a manager. Bafode Diakite's late header gave Lille a lifeline just as it looked like they would head home frustrated by Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who had made a string of big saves. Villa must now go to northern France next week and finish the job if they are to make their first European semi-final since they won the European Cup in 1982. That will not be an easy task as the French football federation have postponed Lille's Ligue 1 game this weekend to give them extra time to prepare and they have only been beaten once at home all season. After an early scare, which required a vital intervention from Pau Torres to deny Hakon Arnar Haraldsson a tap-in following Diego Carlos' error, Villa took command. Lille boss Paulo Fonseca, perenially linked with a move to England, said in his pre-match press conference that his side would pay special attention to Watkins, but allowed him three quickfire chances. The first came after Watkins capitalised on Leny Yoro's dive and was denied by Benjamin Andre's last-ditch tackle, with the England striker shooting straight at Lucas Chevalier from the resulting corner. It was from another corner that Watkins did get on the scoresheet in the 13th minute, as he was left unmarked from McGinn's corner to power home a header from close range, though Lille thought there was a foul by Morgan Rogers. Only another last-ditch tackle from Diakhite denied Watkins a second after Douglas Luiz had played him in, but

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.