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Liverpool eliminated in Europa League quarter-finals

TH (according to VnExpress) April 19, 2024 07:49

Despite beating Atalanta 1-0 in the second leg of the quarter-finals, Liverpool were still eliminated from the Europa League with a final score of 1-3 after two legs.

Thủ môn Alisson Becker cứu thua trong trận Liverpool gặp Atalanta trên sân Gewiss, thành phố Bergamo, xứ Lombardy, Italy, lượt về tứ kết Europa League tối 18/4/2024. Ảnh: EPA
Goalkeeper Alisson Becker saves a goal during the match between Liverpool and Atalanta at Gewiss Stadium, Bergamo city, Lombardy region, Italy, second leg of the Europa League quarter-finals on the evening of April 18, 2024.

Despite a dream start in the second leg with Mohamed Salah scoring in the seventh minute, Liverpool were unable to turn the game around as they lost 0-3 at Anfield. Salah also missed a good chance in the 39th minute, preventing the visitors from applying further pressure. In the second half, Jurgen Klopp's side only had two shots, with a goal probability of just 2%, not enough to help them score more goals.

Klopp has led Liverpool to four European Cup finals in his nearly nine years at the club. He also has the most valuable squad in the Europa League, valued at $980 million by Transfermarkt. Before the match in Bergamo, the German coach also said: "If we are eliminated, we want to say goodbye in the most beautiful way."

The match proved to be only half right. Liverpool were eliminated, but it was not their best performance of the season. The visitors still fielded their strongest possible line-up, despite the important Premier League race still to come. Defender Trent Alexander-Arnold returned to the starting line-up for the first time in over two months, with youngster Conor Bradley injured.

It was Arnold who created Liverpool's first goal, with a cross that hit defender Matteo Ruggeri's arm in the Atalanta penalty area. French referee Francois Letexier awarded the visitors a penalty, and Salah fooled the goalkeeper with a shot into the bottom right corner. The goal came in the seventh minute, when Divock Origi scored Liverpool's first in a 4-3 comeback win over Barca in the 2019 Champions League semi-final.

But that was all the visitors could muster in Bergamo. In the 39th minute, Salah charged down to face the goalkeeper but chipped the ball wide of the goal. After half-time, defender Konstantinos Tsimikas came over and looked puzzled as to why the Egyptian star had decided to chisel the ball instead of shooting straight at goal.

In the final minutes of the match, Klopp sat on an ice chest, with a dazed look on his face. Liverpool only had one arena left, the Premier League, where they were only third behind Man City and Arsenal. But no matter what, the 57-year-old coach still had a title to console when saying goodbye to Liverpool at the end of the season, which was the English League Cup.

TH (according to VnExpress)
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Liverpool eliminated in Europa League quarter-finals