Jürgen Klopp admitted Liverpool had a rough time in a 3-0 loss to Atalanta. The defeat in the Europa League quarterfinals at Anfield has quieted discussions about winning multiple titles — at least for now.
Now, Liverpool must regroup to ensure they stay competitive in the Premier League title race, which currently seems like their best shot at more trophies in Klopp’s final season.
“We played poorly, deserved to lose, and we need to feel that now. But the players have tonight to feel bad about it, and then we must prepare for the Crystal Palace game,” Klopp said in his postgame press conference.
Liverpool faces Palace on Sunday just before league leaders Arsenal play Aston Villa. Klopp’s team and Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are level on points, but Arsenal leads on goal difference. Manchester City is one point behind and can take the top spot on Saturday when it plays against relegation-threatened Luton.
“We need to bounce back, and the only way is by winning that game on the weekend,” defender Virgil van Dijk said after Thursday’s defeat.
Klopp’s announcement in late January about leaving Liverpool after almost nine years surprised many. After that, Liverpool won against Chelsea in the English League Cup final, fueling hopes of a quadruple to give Klopp a grand send-off.
However, Liverpool squandered an extra-time lead and lost to Manchester United in the FA Cup quarterfinals. Then came Atalanta — sixth in Serie A — for the Europa League match. The return leg is next Thursday in Bergamo.
“We have to do much better with their man-marking system. When we have the ball, we must keep it better and longer and be stronger,” Van Dijk said. “They won most of the 50–50 challenges, and then the spaces opened up. They immediately punished us, and that’s what happens.”
In the 2020-21 Champions League group stage, Liverpool won 5-0 away against Atalanta before losing 2-0 at home. And in 2019, Liverpool famously overturned a 3-0 deficit against Barcelona in the Champions League semifinals, winning 4-0 at Anfield.
So, could there be another twist in the tale? “Well, if you don’t believe, there’s no point in going to Italy. We’ve made it very hard for ourselves, going there 3-0 down, but we focus on Crystal Palace,” Van Dijk said. “We need everyone to quickly switch back on and then focus on scoring at least four goals there.”
