Mohamed Salah was on target but Liverpool’s hopes of a famous comeback were thwarted as they bowed out of the UEFA Europa League at the quarter-final stage despite a 1-0 victory at Atalanta.
Jurgen Klopp’s men faced an almost impossible task following a shock 3-0 home reversal in the first leg at Anfield and so it proved as La Dea progressed 3-1 on aggregate.
The Merseyside club got off to the perfect start on seven minutes when Salah netted his 24th goal of the season from the penalty spot.
The Egyptian then wasted a gilt-edged chance to double Liverpool’s lead on the night when he lobbed wide when sent clear by Cody Gakpo.
Atalanta improved following the interval and should have levelled but Ederson shot straight at Alisson.
Liverpool ran out of ideas midway through the second period and never looked like setting up a barnstorming finale in what will prove to be Klopp’s final match in charge in Europe.
Atalanta will now meet Marseille or Benfica in the semi-finals. Liverpool will turn their full attention to the Premier League title race and a match at Fulham on Sunday.
Talking Point – Liverpool fall short as Klopp’s farewell tour comes down to Premier League push
When Salah struck inside the opening 10 minutes the talk of stirring European comebacks gathered momentum on social platforms, but in the end it wasn’t to be as Liverpool’s first-leg nightmare proved too much of a mountain to climb.
Klopp may well regret picking a weakened side to start that game at Anfield and he didn’t make that mistake here, with Trent Alexander-Arnold showing how influential he can be early on in his first start since injury. Understandably, he ran out of steam – and so did his teammates – with the visitors’ first-half promise fizzling out.
Indeed, Liverpool won the night but it’s the Italians who move on after securing arguably the finest triumph in their history.
The Merseysiders will now need to focus all their energies on their final six Premier League matches, with no margin for error and favours needed to reel Manchester City back in.
Player of the match
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool). The right-back demonstrated the creativity the Reds have been missing in his absence on what was his first start since February 10. It was his cross that led to the only goal while his comfort in possession and long-range passing caught the eye for the majority of his 70 minutes on the pitch. It may not have helped a Liverpool revival here, but it bodes well for the PL run-in.