Jota is the trick for Liverpool to annihilate Atalanta

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Diogo Jota brought his tally to six goals in 10 days with a Champions League hat-trick as Liverpool beat Atalanta 5-0 to move just short of the round of 16.

The Portugal international’s recent scoring streak convinced Jurgen Klopp to start ahead of Roberto Firmino in Bergamo and fully justified the manager’s decision with just the club’s fourth European hat-trick away from Anfield.

He’s in elevated company as Michael Owen (two) and Sadio Mane scored the others and what he’s already accomplished since moving from the Wolves in mid-September suggests there could be more to come.

Jota, who could have had a hat-trick in the first half but missed arguably his easiest chance in the second minute, has now scored for the fourth straight game. He is only the second man to find the net in his first two Champions League appearances for the club, after Republic of Ireland striker Robbie Keane in 2008, and he already has more goals for the club in 2020 (seven) than Firmino (five) despite having arrived less than two months ago.

Finally, Klopp has someone who not only challenges his three established forwards of Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Mane, the last pair also scoring a couple of minutes apart at the start of the second half, but also to improve on the much vaunted. Unit. and his £ 41 million transfer already appears to be good value for money.

Jota’s impressive performance allowed Liverpool to win their first three group matches for the first time and they have already established a five-point lead in the middle of the stage with two home games to come.

Early qualification would be a huge boost for Klopp in this congested season, as it would give him the opportunity to offer much-needed respite to his main players.

With Manchester City leading the way in the Premier League on Sunday, he even seized the opportunity here, pulling Jota, who caused a limping injury, Andy Robertson and Jordan Henderson out of the fray with 25 minutes to go and then resting Trent. Alexander-Arnold. and Georginio Wijnaldum, all likely key figures at the Etihad Stadium.

Joel Matip returned to the team after a four-game absence, but Klopp chose to hand over 19-year-old Rhys Williams, who a year ago was playing for Kidderminster against Curzon Ashton in the National League North, his full Champions League debut. as a central defender. with Joe Gomez against an eight-man team that reached the quarterfinals last season.

It was the 36th different central defensive association that Klopp has started during his five years at the club, but there were no concerns on defense, even against a team that scored 98 goals in Serie A last season, with Jota running to the hosts in the other extreme. .

Having shot too close to Marco Sportiello in just the second minute, Jota didn’t make the same mistake twice in the 16th minute, passing a shot that went over the goalkeeper after blindfolding José Luis Palomino chasing a pass from Alexander-Arnold.

Sportiello had already denied Mane and Curtis Jones, but Jota couldn’t match him in the 33rd minute when Gomez took out his teammate with a long ball diagonally.

The first touch with his left foot brought the ball inside to his right and sent a shot inside Sportiello’s right post, prompting Klopp to yell “What a shot, Diogo” from the technical area.

Mane saw his goal kick flip around the post, but two goals within four minutes of the second half killed the hosts’ hopes of a comeback.

Salah’s mid-pitch run to score off a pass from Jones when he broke a corner kick from Atalanta was reminiscent of the one he scored against Arsenal in August 2019 and his 22nd goal in Europe in 38 appearances was tied with Owen in the club all-time list. only Steven Gerrard (41) has more.

Salah then became a supplier for Mane to overtake Sportiello, but Jota was in no mood to be robbed of the limelight and ran to Mane’s pass to surround Sportiello and launch a shot into the empty net.

Duvan Zapata hit the inside of the post and forced Alisson Becker to make two good saves, but that kind of attacking threat was necessary in the first half as rookie Williams and Gomez had an unexpectedly comfortable night.



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