Europa League: Atalanta Next for Treble Chasing Liverpool

Liverpool vs Atalanta

In Jurgen Klopp’s last season as manager of Liverpool the Reds are fighting on three fronts and this week the 2024 Europa League comes back into view. 

Liverpool destroyed Sprata Prague in the Round of 16, 11-2 on aggregate, but they are likely to meet a tougher opponent on Thursday when Gain Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta arrive at Anfield. La Dea had a more difficult passage to the quarter finals, edging out Portuguese league leaders Sporting Lisbon and now they hope to cause the biggest upset of the round by reaching a European semi-final for the first time in over 30 years.

Both teams had a frustrating weekend; while Liverpool were battling to a 2-2 draw against Manchester United Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta lost 2-1 away to struggling Cagliari, a setback which left La Dea in sixth place in Serie A and only two points ahead of Napoli in seventh.

With the Carabao Cup already in the Liverpool trophy cabinet and a three way battle for the Premier League, the Europa League 2024 betting odds are backing Klopp’s men to win in Europe.

But La Dea is not about to roll over.  

Talking Points

Klopp will ring the changes

Liverpool’s draw with Manchester United kept the 2023/24 Premier League title race in the balance but the Reds will rue the chances they spurned, with 28 shots and seven on target, while the Red Devils scored two worldies. Liverpool’s wastefulness in front of goal opened the door for Arsenal at the top of the league and the title run in promises to be a rollercoaster.

But Klopp will hold his nerve and he will trust his squad, as he has all season, to keep the plates spinning. Luis Diaz and Mo Salah were on target against Manchester United but it is highly likely one of them will take a rest, with Cody Gakpo set to step in, while fans favourite Darwin Nunez should keep his place.

At the other end of the pitch Caoimhin Kelleher will continue in the nets, with the injured Allison getting nearer to a return, while centre back Ibrahima Konate is ready to return at centre back, probably alongside Joe Gomez.

And we could see starts for young stars Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott, who were on the bench against the Red Devils, but the midfielders have always performed when called upon. 

Reds are set to meet an old foe

Former Everton star Ademola Lookman is ready to make his first return to Liverpool following his transfer to Bergamo in 2022. He signed for the Goodison Park club as a highly rated youngster back in 2017, and while he moved on to Leipzig in 2019, Toffees fans will be cheering Lookman on when the rocks up at Anfield. He’s a mercurial player with bags of skill, but was dogged by inconsistency before his move to Italy and Gasperini seems to have solved that. Now 26 years of age, Lookman is in the form of his life and has scored 21 goals in 55 games for La Dea.       

He’s set to line up alongside former West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacca who scored La Dea’s goal in the loss to Cagliari, assisted by Lookman. And both players hit the target in

Atalanta’s tussle with Sporting Lisbon in the Round of 16 tie which La Dea won 2-1.

In a blow to Gasperini, highly rated young defender Giorgio Scalvini is sidelined for up to a month and he’ll be a big miss against the Reds.    

History

When the two teams met in the 2020 Champions League Liverpool gave Atalanta a real slapping in Bergamo, winning 5-0, before La Dea took some revenge with a 2-0 win at Anfield. It would be one of the big Europa League 2024 results of this round if La Dea were to pull off a two leg win against Klopp’s men.

The Reds have better recent form, having won three, drawn two and lost one of the last six games while Atalanta have won two, drawn two and lost two.

Liverpool are unbeaten in 33 games at home and I don’t see that run ending any time soon.

Betting Tip

Klopp’s Reds are at SBOTOP odds of 1.32 to win this tie with the Draw at 4.63 and Atalanta at 5.80, and La Dea can be backed at a price of 1.87 with that 1.50 goal advantage.

Anfield is a frightening place to visit at the best of times but on a European night, underneath the floodlights, it can explode into life and the Liverpool players almost always respond.  

 

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