Two teams who topped their groups in the Europa League group stage this season meet in an intriguing quarter-final clash between Liverpool and Atalanta.
The Reds finished top of Group E (4v, 2d) before recording their biggest European win for over forty years in beating Sparta Prague 11-2 (agg) in the last 16, while Atalanta were unbeaten in Group D (4v, 2n) and went on to beat Sporting 3-2 on aggregate in the last round.
For Liverpool, this is their eighth appearance in the UEFA Cup/Europa League quarter-finals, eight years since their last. The memorable quarter-final against Borussia Dortmund in Jürgen Klopp’s first season automatically comes to mind, and after a 91st-minute goal from Dejan Lovren earned a memorable 4-3 comeback in that tie, Anfield will be hoping for another famous European night.
The first leg will take place on Merseyside this time, and it will give the Reds the chance to take an advantage into the second leg, as they have won 13 of their last 17 European home matches (2d, 2d). However, the defeat that started that run came against Atalanta when the two teams shared a Champions League group in 2020/21. Liverpool had won 5-0 at the Gewiss Stadium before Atalanta turned the tables with a 2-0 victory at Anfield.
Atalanta are a different beast in the Europa League, as evidenced by the fact that they have lost just three of their 28 matches in the competition (16v, 9n). All of those results have come under the guidance of iconic coach Gian Piero Gasperini, and he has also led his team to a record of just two defeats in their last 17 European away matches (8v, 7n).
Players to watch: Liverpool will be hoping that Dominik Szoboszlai can be influential again in this tie. He has scored five of his last seven goals at home, having scored in both legs against Sparta. Gianluca Scamacca found the net in both of Atalanta’s last-16 matches, and those strikes mean he has scored five of his last six goals before the break.
Hot stat: There has only been one draw in Liverpool’s last 17 games against Italian opposition (10v, 6d).
Prediction
Predicting the exact score of a football match is difficult, but based on the information provided, here’s a breakdown of what we can expect:
- Liverpool: Strong at home (13 wins in last 17 European home games) and looking to bounce back from their defeat to Atalanta in the 2020/21 Champions League group stage.
- Atalanta: Undefeated in the Europa League group stage and have a good record in European away games under Gasperini (only 2 defeats in 17).
This suggests a close encounter. Liverpool will be favorites at home, but Atalanta are a dangerous opponent. Here are two possible scenarios:
Liverpool 2-1 Atalanta: A narrow win for Liverpool capitalizing on their home advantage.
Liverpool 1-1 Atalanta: A tight draw with both teams cancelling each other out.
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