Atalanta BC vs Liverpool Match Analysis and Prediction

Atalanta vs Liverpool Match Analysis & Prediction

Atalanta

18/04/2024 10:00 pm

Liverpool

by Vincent

2 weeks ago 0 22

DISCLAIMER: All odds are quoted at time the prediction went live. Check the sports book for updated odds

Staring down the barrel of Europa League elimination, Liverpool have a mountain to climb when they visit the Gewiss Stadium for the second leg of their quarter-final tie with Atalanta BC on Thursday night.

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Atalanta left Anfield dumbstruck with a surprising 3-0 victory in last week’s opening leg, although the Reds are no strangers to overturning seemingly unassailable deficits on the continent.

Fresh from eliminating a team led by a potential future Liverpool manager in Ruben Amorim’s Sporting Lisbon, Atalanta returned to English shores for a three-year reunion with the Reds, whom they memorably managed to conquer at Anfield in the 2020-21 Champions League group stage.

Thanks in no small part to the worrying wastefulness of Jurgen Klopp’s side, Gian Piero Gasperini’s crop incredibly managed to better their 2-0 behind-closed-doors win, as Gianluca Scamacca’s brace and Mario Pasalic’s finish sent the travelling Atalanta faithfull into pandemonium.

Liverpool’s penchant for breathtaking turnarounds means that Atalanta are far from home and hosed, but from 132 previous instances, no Europa League/ UEFA Cup team has ever been eliminated from the competition after winning the first leg of a knockout tie by at least three goals away from home.

However, Atalanta were unable to carry last Thursday’s momentum forward to the weekend’s Serie A encounter with Hellas Verona – letting a 2-0 lead slip in a 2-2 home draw – and the surprise win over Liverpool represents only La Dea’s third victory from their last 11 games across all competitions.

Atalanta should not be asking Calcio counterparts AC Milan or Barcelona for pointers on how to avoid multiple-goal capitulations against Liverpool, but if the Reds’ recent profligacy is anything to go by, Gasperini’s side can simply hope for their visitors to be their own worst enemies once again.

After failing to convert a multitude of chances on April 11, Liverpool’s springtime plight continued in a similarly agonising Premier League home defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday, where Eberechi Eze condemned the Reds to their first top-flight home loss in nearly 18 months.

Suffering successive defeats for the first time since a run of three in March/April 2023, the top-flight crown is now out of Liverpool’s hands as Manchester City lead the way at the top, leading some of the Reds faithful to join their Arsenal counterparts in declaring the title race a foregone conclusion.

As well as their aversion to finishing big chances, Liverpool have now gone nine matches without a clean sheet across all competitions, but a run of four straight away games should be welcome with open arms by a Reds team that have scored in all of their away games in the 2023-24 season so far.

Atalanta vs. Liverpool Head to head

These two teams have only previously met on three occasions, with Atalanta winning two times and Liverpool once.

03/11/2020

Atalanta

0

Liverpool

5

Champions League
25/11/2020

Liverpool

0

Atalanta

2

Champions League
11/04/2024

Liverpool

0

Atalanta

3

Europa League
18/04/2024

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A
18/04/2024

Atalanta

N/A

Liverpool

N/A

Europa League

Atalanta Team News

As well as hamstring victim Giorgio Scalvini – who is sidelined here – Atalanta’s defensive ranks were further ravaged before the Anfield beatdown, as ex-Arsenal man Sead Kolasinac picked up an adductor problem.

Marten de Roon’s timely return will likely see the 33-year-old shoe-horned into a three-man defensive wall with Berat Djimsiti and Isak Hien, as was the case at Anfield.

Atalanta's Last 5 Matches

30/03/2024

Napoli

0

Atalanta

3

Serie A
03/04/2024

Fiorentina

1

Atalanta

0

Coppa Italia
07/04/2024

Cagliari

2

Atalanta

1

Serie A
11/04/2024

Liverpool

0

Atalanta

3

Europa League
15/04/2024

Atalanta

2

Verona

2

Serie A

Liverpool Team News

Liverpool will likely have to make do without young right-back Conor Bradley, who overstretched his foot in the defeat to Palace and had to be helped off the field by medics.

Trent Alexander-Arnold should now be primed for his first start since recovering from a knee injury, while Stefan Bajcetic could also make himself available after returning to action for the U21 last week.