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Football.ua, together with project partner Carlsberg, is summarizing the results of matchday 4 of the Champions League, in which Jurgen Klopp’s team was able to decide the question of reaching the playoffs, but was disarmed by rivals (0: 2).
The reigning champion of England’s European Cup campaign, in contrast to his status in his country’s Premier League, is light-hearted. In Group D of the UEFA Champions League, where every team loves to play attacking football and score goals, Liverpool haven’t conceded a single goal in their three games. This despite the recurring defensive problems of Jurgen Klopp, which were especially worse before the second leg with Atalanta at Anfield.
5: 0 in the away game: the “Reds” passed over the Bergamascos at the beginning of November 2020, which allowed them to reach the first position of the table with a margin of five points of the closest pursuer.
And here it was already possible to include the pragmatic arithmetic: after the end of the reporting match, Liverpool and their rivals in the quartet would only have two games left until the end of the group stage. Klopp’s team already had nine points, the closest competitors: Ajax and Atalanta, four each, therefore a victory over the “Goddess” would lead Klopp’s team directly to the playoffs. Do you need additional motivation in this case?
The “reds” entered the meeting of reports with great difficulties. Opponents set a high block, which caused even experienced soccer players like Mohammed Salah to make mistakes in simple situations. Atalanta racked up a decent amount of scoring opportunities, but Alisson really came into the game only once, when, in the 9th minute, he managed to react to an unexpected shot from Gosens from the left edge of the penalty area.
Liverpool only waited until the rivals faded from that pace, which happened only before the break. Klopp’s team managed to seize the initiative for a short period of time, but Salah’s shot over the crossbar from the right flank of the penalty area was a real missed opportunity to open an account. The game at Anfield attracted with its high pace, but joined the global trend of underperforming meetings, which started in the second time slot.
The second part began according to the same scenario as the first, only the Bergamasks were able to finish what they had started. At the end of a full hour of playing time, Alejandro Gómez actively joined the game again, giving his team 1.5 effective actions in a short period of time. In the 60th minute, “Papu” entered the area between the center-backs in the approaching Ilicic from the left flank, and in the 64th minute he hung back from the same point in the corner of the penalty, but Hatebur already made the header definitive on which he joined the attack in time. Gosens.
Liverpool was extremely difficult in the attacking segment. Even four Klopp substitutions didn’t help immediately after the first goal conceded. Only at the end of injury time did the locals manage to organize an aggravation, but Manet was never able to beat Gollini with a header in his team’s last attack. All calculations can be ruled out: the “reds” have done their best with the return of the intrigue to the group, but now they themselves can be in the Europa League.
In the next round, English Liverpool will play a home game against Ajax Amsterdam, and Atalanta will host Danish Midtjylland at home.
Liverpool – Atalanta 0: 2
Goals: Ilicic, 60, Gossens, 64
Liverpool: Alisson – N. Williams, R. Williams, Matip (Minamino, 84), Cimikas (Robertson, 61) – Jones, Veinaldum (Fabinho, 61), Milner – Salah (Firmino, 61), Origi (Zota, 61), Mane .
Atalanta: Gollini – Toloy, Romero, Jimcity – Hatebour, de Roon, Pessina (Miranchuk, 85), Froyler, Gossens (Mohica, 74) – Ilicic (Zapata, 70), Gomez.
Warnings: Roon’s Cimikas
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