After the 0-3 defeat to Atalanta Bergamo, Liverpool needs a miracle to advance to the semifinals.
Jürgen Klopp embraced the pain like an old friend when the dream of departing as a European cup winner likely burst at the fortress of Anfield. “It has to feel bad because it was bad,” said the team manager of FC Liverpool, who stands on the brink of elimination from the Europa League after a surprising 0-3 (0-1) defeat to Atalanta Bergamo: “We can’t sugarcoat this; it can’t be done without alcohol. We shouldn’t even try.”
Following a quarter-final first leg to forget, and the first home defeat in 33 competitive matches, a small to medium-sized football miracle in the second match on Thursday in Italy will be necessary for progression to the semifinals. “At the moment, they are obviously through, but we will go there to win the game. If you win the game, you have to win it properly,” Klopp explained on RTL: “For that, we need to play significantly better. So far, there are no signs of that.”
Between Nightmare and Horror
The final on May 22 in Dublin now seems very far away, with frustration and disappointment prevailing – emotions that Klopp also encountered when reading the newspapers on Friday.
The Times called the events a “European horror show for Klopp,” the Daily Telegraph saw a “Klopp nightmare” and “Liverpool thrashed at Anfield shock.” Reds icon Jamie Carragher even had a unique, yet very pragmatic piece of advice for Klopp.
The only good thing about the defeat, as the former defender wrote on X, is that “Jürgen should field the entire second string in the return match to go ‘all in’ in the league!”
If Klopp, who leaves the club in the summer after nine years, wants to depart with more than the League Cup won in February, the Premier League indeed seems to offer the best opportunity.
And that reaction is indeed sorely needed. Sure, Klopp initially rested star striker Mohamed Salah and former Salzburg player Dominik Szoboszlai against Bergamo, but as an explanation for the negligent defense and sluggish offensive play, this hardly suffices.
That goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher fumbled during the first of Gianluca Scamacca’s two goals and the 3-0 by Mario Pasalic fits the narrative. His team, according to Klopp, “lost its nerves in terms of football too early.” Thus, the miracle of Bergamo will not materialize.