Liverpool have two key questions to answer after shambolic Atalanta defeat
Liverpool were unrecognisable during their Europa League quarter-final first leg defeat bt Atalanta on Thursday evening.
The Reds, who now trail their Italian opponents 3-0 on aggregate going into next week's return fixture, never looked like scoring during the contest at Anfield and were deservedly beaten on the night.
The result marked a first loss on home soil for Jurgen Klopp's side in 14 months - since losing 5-2 to Real Madrid in the Champions League in February 2023 - and could well be their iconic manager's final European game barring another miracle next Thursday.
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Reacting to Liverpool's first-leg performance while previewing Sunday's meeting with Crystal Palace, three Reds have shared their views as part of a weekly ECHO fan column.
Rhys Buchanan (Aigburth, @Rhys_Buchanan) - Jota return one of few positives from Thursday
It looked like Liverpool were carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders on Thursday night. Sluggish and sloppy from the get-go, with an overwhelming sense of negativity, it felt like Caoimhin Kelleher had the ball for most of the first half. It’s of course a bitter and embarrassing pill to swallow, but Atalanta deserve so much credit for their performance. Sitting four rows back in the Lower Kenny, the Italians fought doggedly and puffed chests out like the Champions League team they regularly are.
It wasn’t really a night to bother looking for green shoots, but the return of a dangerous-looking Diogo Jota was something to smile about and the likes of Andy Robertson looked hell-bent on changing the bleak
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