I started the Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona thread so I might as well.give this a go. The same result again would be very welcome . If we managed to beat that Barcelona side without Salah and Bobby then we can definitely beat this Atalanta side and go through. I just hope the first leg result hasn't left us with too much to do.
We don't do clean sheets any more so going to have to score at least 5 to win in normal time. Extra time would be a disaster with 3 away league games coming up in 6 days.
Jurgen started a near first strength team for what effectively was a dead rubber in the last round. The next game against United in the cup, it went to extra time and key players were dead on their feet and team have not really recovered from the impact of that defeat on the season. It’s a very good point by @SUPERFAN that even if get 3, then you’d be into extra time. This might factor into Jurgens thinking. The team arguably were in better form when some of the young lads were in the team, I’d sprinkle in at least 2. Atalanta are 1/8 to go through and LFC 9/2 to go through. Should be more like 10/1 however shows bookies are wary that Jurgen is capable of a turnaround
Besides us playing below par at the moment, Atlanta don't need to play open football. When we beat them 5-0 they were trying to get a result. Now they just need to defend.
Based on the one time I've seen them play I'm going to say that's the only way they can play. If they set up for a nil nil we will beat them handy. Klopp made a really interesting comment after that last game, something along the lines of now they will think they're through but as they get closer to the game they will realise they're not. The psychology of it is interesting, Atlanta can't really win from here, all they can do is not fuck it up and that can be a mind fuck if they go 1 down.
They threw away 2-0 lead at the weekend in a couple of minutes and it finished 2-2. Small hope for us .
I think it's going to be full on heavy metal football, maybe with a goal or two to get our hopes up before Atlanta score and break hearts again.
To be honest, if we can't win and go through, I'd take what you've outlined. I just want to see some energy and fight from the team again, to give us hope for the run in. Find the shooting boots. But, I think if we score early, it'll end up 5-2 or something like that to us. Darwin to score 4.
If we're going all out here,I wouldn't start Darwin. Gakpo needs to start this. I think Klopp made a mistake not starting him on Sunday. He was full of energy and confidence against Atalanta and looked really sharp again when he came on v Palace. One of Klopps trademarks in his time with us has been how he has valued energy as much as reputation/ability when picking teams during heavy fixture schedules. Gakpo is sharper at the moment than any of the front 3 who started Sunday,put him in. If Jota is up to it,start him too.
Atalanta played on Monday at home to Verona who are a point outside the relegation zone. They went 2 up after 15mins but ended up drawing the game. It's a massive ask being away from home but I'm hoping the loss to Palace is the spark that Leicester winning at City was in 2019. Had we won at Palace with Arsenal losing on Sunday we'd have looked to be in a 2 horse race with City and much more likely to write off this tie (unofficially) Now I see us properly going for it. I'd start Jota, Salah and Gakpo personally and have the South American lads off the bench
I'd absolutely throw everything at this for an hour and see where we are at then, if we haven't got back into it I'd take players off then for Sunday. Trent and Jota to get an hour each too 4-1 Liverpool and we win in ET
Atalanta typically play one, way Gasperini has an attacking philosophy and he doesn't stray from it. This gives a great chance or absolutely condemns us depending on if when we or Atalanta score. One thing you can be sure of is they will not stop even if we are up 4 nil in the first half, they aren't made that way. This could be our Olympiakos game for this team and I hope it is. I really feel we can win this by enough and go through if we can get our mojo back. We have been creating many chances and taking f all of them. Our three best finishers as I see it are Jota, Mo and Cody so at least two of them should start. We create more chances with Darwin in the side so he should also be considered.
Win, lose or draw, I just want to see some heart and performance. Let's wash off the funk around the place one way or the other.
After both Man Utd and Crystal Palace game recently with a bit of luck tonight we are clinical and take our chances. I'd start Jota, Gakpo and Salah. Elliot could have a big say in tonight's game.
It's a mountain no doubt but Elliot's goal goes in last week and it's a completely different game. All three of their goals were absolutely atrocious from our perspective and the first one was a pisser of a shot that I hope Kelleher will be embarrassed about letting in. I'm not talking about ifs and buts, I'm just saying Atalanta are not great shakes at all, we made them look great. But going to any other teams stadium giving them a 3 goal headstart is hard. It's going to be very very tough, but it is doable.
If we go out, I’d like to see us go out fighting We Need a big performance before Sunday, as we have struggled against Fulham already this season, and if we don’t secure 3 points then we maybe done I’d start Gakpo, Elliot, Trent, Quansah compared to Sunday Nunez, Jones, Konate on bench (Bradley is out) if we keep them scoreless up to 60 mins, I’d still believe we can over turn this
In the history of the Uefa Cup/Europa league there has been 132 times where a team has gone into a 2nd leg after a 3-0 home loss. Not once has a team overturned that scoreline. Liverpool to qualify on betfair? 150/1? nope, 100/1? no, 75/1 even? Nah. Betfair have Liverpool at 10/3 to go through