Pep Guardiola once said that facing Atalanta was 'like going to the dentist, you always feel a bit of fear and pain'.
Only six Italian teams in history have won at Anfield: Genoa, Roma, Fiorentina, Udinese, Atalanta and Inter Milan. Atalanta on Thursday night will try to repeat history and overcome another obstacle towards the Europa League final.
Today, the team coached by Gian Piero Gasperini is very different from what was once defined as the 'Cinderella' of the Champions League, attacking and frightening all the top clubs.
That attack, formed of Duvan Zapata, Joseph Ilicic and 'Papu' Gomez was stellar and harmonious while today, the team has changed its type of game and radically modified its DNA.
They play with a 3-4-2-1 shape and Gianluca Scamacca is the spearhead of a team that plays aggressively but has lost the imagination and verve that had characterised those happy European experiences.
Liverpool will find a very well-organised team but one whose batteries do seen exhausted after an exceptional first part of the season.
Atalanta is going through a moment of slight decline after defeats against Cagliari in the league and Fiorentina in the Coppa Italia. So it could be a favourable moment to face them for Liverpool.
The three-man defence becomes a five when the opposition attack and this particular tactical structure could pose a problem for Liverpool.
Today, Atalanta plays less 'European' and more 'Italian' football. They have learned to defend better and take fewer risks, so could well short-circuit Liverpool's plans.
KOOPMEINERS IS LIKE ROBOCOP
Teun Koopmeiners is the man who scares Jurgen Klopp the most and who requires the most attention.
He is a midfielder that Gasperini forged as a 'raider', a standard bearer with
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