Diogo Jota is blowing heat on Roberto Firmino

Midway through the second half, Atalanta finally knew how to stop Diogo Jota. When deploying an attack, the Liverpool rookie was cornered, defender José Palomino shoved him quite hard on the back.

That moment put an end to Jota’s performance against Atalanta. Coach Jurgen Klopp can understand the warning when retiring the Portuguese player. And it’s also understandable how Atalanta made the 23-year-old forward feel the pain as he crawled to the bench.

A stellar hattrick was the cornerstone of Liverpool’s best away performance ever created in the European Cup. Liverpool are very calm, controlling the game and above all extremely ready to completely defeat the home team in Bergamo.

In recent weeks, people have focused primarily on Liverpool’s disabled list which has affected the depth of their squad. But with the appearance of Jota and what he is showing, perhaps the “Red Brigade” has unearthed a diamond to perfectly complement Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané.

And the opponent that was supposed to be Liverpool’s toughest in Group D gave them a total victory. For the first time in the UEFA Champions League, the “Red Brigade” went straight to the first three games of the group stage. It’s a positive sign that comes with plenty of other things, including the addition of another clean sheet or impressive performances from youngsters Rhys Williams and Curtis Jones.

What happened in the game against Atalanta could bring a dilemma for Klopp. But after the events of the last few weeks, that dilemma is something the German strategist should enjoy. It may not be difficult for him to decide to put Jota in the starting eleven and reduce Roberto Firmino’s workload.

Of course, Firmino’s absence from the starting lineup on a trip to Manchester City’s Etihad this weekend will continue to come as a surprise as his influence over the past few seasons is so evident. Klopp remains confident in the Brazilian forward’s resilience.

During the post-match press conference, the German strategist said: “Good performances never give me a headache. It is tonight’s decision to take advantage of Diogo’s form and because of the way Atalanta operates and defends, Diogo’s skill set will be effective.

But sometimes the world is really bad when the moment someone shines, we immediately talk about another player who has played 500 games in a row. We wouldn’t be in the Champions League if Bobby Firmino wasn’t here with us and I immediately had to explain why he wasn’t on the team. He will be on the soccer team.

For many people around the world, if you ask them what makes Liverpool so special, they will answer how Bobby Firmino plays. The important thing is that we have more than 11 players and tonight Diogo took advantage of his form and played a super cool game. But that didn’t say anything about Bobby and it didn’t give me a headache either. Instead, I’m happier about the way the players are playing tonight.

But whatever happens, Jota is proving that he is a player who cannot be eliminated from the starting lineup, not only because of his diverse scoring ability but also because of the frequency of action and movement. It is undeniable that for the first time since the trio of Firmino, Salah and Mané was formed in 2017, there has been serious competition to break that “alliance”.

Liverpool could switch from 4-3-3 to 4-2-3-1 to use the four attacking players, but perhaps Firmino was a bit uncomfortable on the bench before entering. Jota replaced him in the 65th minute. Sure, he will have to try to play well.

Jota had been able to score from the second minute when Atalanta’s defense gaps immediately appeared, but his left-handed shot was blocked by goalkeeper Marco Sportiello. But that couldn’t prevent a great day for Jota in particular and Liverpool in general.

After 16 minutes, a precise pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold took Jota into the penalty area. He escaped from Palomino’s tutelage, hitting the ball over Sportiello’s head with his left foot. The muscles and brain of the Portuguese striker make a great goal.

His second hit 16 minutes later was also a moment of real sublimation, showing agility in both action and thought. A long cross pass from Joe Gomez found Jota right now, out of Hans Hateboer. After a touch with his left foot that helped him turn the flanks of the Atalanta side, he fired with his right leg to knock out Sportiello for the second time.

The 23-year-old forward completed his first hattrick for Liverpool in the second half as his acceleration situation after a clever pass from Mane left Palomino behind. Jota beat goalkeeper Sportiello, who ran out and scored on an empty goal. So far it is the seventh goal after 9 appearances and the sixth goal in 4 consecutive games for Liverpool. On average, every 71 minutes, the former Wolverhampton player scores for the “Red Brigade”.

But although today Jota has occupied all the attention, it is clear that the epic victory over Atalanta is the success of all Liverpool. He made the show brilliant, disciplined, and cohesive, described by Klopp as “amazing.”

On the positive side, Liverpool have yet to concede a Champions League goal this season and 19-year-old midfielder Rhys Williams has his first full kick at the continent’s most prestigious club tournament. Last season, Williams wore the Kidderminster Harriers on loan and played in the National League North. And Atalanta’s Duván Zapata has sought to take advantage of Williams’ location.

However, Liverpool curbed the strength of the Colombian forward. Meanwhile, Atalanta captain Papu Gómez was countered by Jordan Henderson or Georginio Wijnaldum. And if it’s not the duo, it’s Curtis Jones. The most notable combination of Zapata and Gómez came in the 62nd minute. Gómez passed the ball to his teammates, the Colombian turned with his left foot to eliminate Joe Gómez but his shot touched the ball. intersection between the cross beam and the vertical column.

Meanwhile, in addition to Jota’s 3 goals, Salah and Mane spoke with their correct performances. In the 47th minute, Jones’ kick opened the sprint for Salah with Remo Freuler and Hateboer. He slowed down, turned inward, and promised to be perfect. Two minutes later, Salah missed Alexander-Arnold’s throw-in and pushed Mane before the Senegalese striker subtly finished off with his left foot to increase the score to 4-0.

But with that being said, today’s highlight Diogo Jota deserves.

Translation and complementary summary of the article “Diogo Jota’s drive warms Roberto Firmino for the Manchester City clash” by Paul Joyce in The Times.