Liverpool have crashed out of the Europa League thus ending any hopes of winning a European trophy in Jurgen Klopp’s final season at the club.
The Reds failed to overturn a first-leg deficit against Atalanta.
The Reds travelled to Italy on the back of a 3-0 defeat at Anfield last Thursday and, despite controlling the game for the large periods, could not find the required goals and lost 3-1 on aggregate.
Mohamed Salah’s seventh-minute penalty, after a Trent Alexander-Arnold cross was handled, gave them hope.
But that hope was extinguished as Atalanta defended well coupled with Liverpool’s lack of concentration in the final third. Both conspired to deny Liverpool the chance to score more goals
It marks the end of a difficult 12 days for the Reds, who drew at Manchester United and lost at home to Crystal Palace to surrender their lead at the top of the Premier League.
Attention will now turn back to the title race with Liverpool sitting third behind second-placed Arsenal and two points off leaders Manchester City.
The league now represents their final chance to give Klopp a fairytale ending to his eight and a half years on Merseyside and add to their success in the Carabao Cup in February.
Atalanta sit sixth in Serie A, 32 points behind leaders Inter Milan, but they were superb in this tie, defending valiantly and attacking with creativity, and deservedly set up a semi-final against Marseille, who beat Benfica on penalties.
For Liverpool, their season is in danger of petering out. Three away games in the Premier League in the next nine days could well define how their campaign pans out from here.
Europa League: Atalanta Knock Liverpool Out
