Jurgen Klopp openly criticized Joe Gomez during Liverpool’s unexpected defeat to Atalanta on Thursday evening.
At Anfield, the Reds faced a demoralizing 3-0 loss in the Europa League quarter-final’s first leg.
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Trailing 1-0 at the interval, Liverpool conceded two more goals after the break, and Gomez became the focal point of Klopp’s visible frustration on the sidelines.
In a moment of possession 25 yards from goal, Gomez chose to attempt a long-range shot despite having better passing options, a decision that did little to aid Liverpool’s efforts.
Klopp’s displeasure with Gomez was evident as he couldn’t hide his disappointment during what turned out to be a disheartening evening in Merseyside.
Having been considered strong contenders for the Europa League title, Liverpool now confronts a significant challenge to reverse the scoreline in the upcoming second leg in Italy.
Gianluca Scamacca, the ex-West Ham striker who didn’t make his mark at the London Stadium, was responsible for two of Atalanta’s goals.
He executed both finishes with precision, particularly his second goal, which came as Liverpool’s defense overlooked his movement, granting him an unsettling amount of space within the penalty area.
Mario Pasalic, formerly with Chelsea, scored a late goal to the delight of the visiting Atalanta supporters. Following Caoimhin Kelleher’s save of Ederson’s initial shot, Pasalic was in the right place to capitalize, sealing the Italian side’s commanding lead.
Virgil van Dijk told TNT Sports: “Defeat, obviously it is half-time and we’re 3-0 down which is not great. Too many individual mistakes and we got punished for it. I think with the man marking system they do we have to do much better, keep the ball longer, they won all the 50-50s and the spaces were too open.
“It is a very disappointing night for us but we can’t dwell on it for too long because we have another game in two days.” The defender added: “If we don’t have belief there’s no point going there (to Italy).”
Liverpool has a history of remarkable comebacks in European competitions, most notably their stunning turnaround against Barcelona in 2019.
Yet, this occasion presents a different challenge as they lack the home ground advantage of Anfield and must deliver an extraordinary display in Bergamo the following week.
