Liverpool 'lost the plot' as Klopp concedes Reds face a mountain to climb against Atalanta

Jurgen Klopp said Liverpool "lost the plot" after a 3-0 defeat at home to Atalanta left them on the brink of elimination from the Europa League.

Liverpool looked all at sea defensively in their quarter-final first leg and succumbed to a Gianluca Scamacca brace and a late Mario Pasalic goal.

It could actually have been worse for the home side as Atalanta spurned a series of chances late on.

Harvey Elliott hit the post in the first half and Mohamed 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. We were here and there in midfield, I didn’t recognise it.

“It was really strange but in football terms it was tactical discipline. There was a big chance for Darwin [Nunez] and then it was unlucky with Harvey, but they scored and we kept playing into their hands.

“We played a bad game and we we deserved to lose. We must feel that now but we have exactly this night to feel bad about it and then we have to build up for Palace.”

Klopp made six changes to his side following Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Manchester United, but his bid to freshen up the side failed, and their chances of ending the German’s reign with a showpiece final in Dublin have taken a huge hit.

Kostas Tsimikas had a night to forget at