Liverpool might have crushed Atalanta 1-0, however the media had been alarmed by a dull general efficiency within the Reds’ Europa League exit.
This wasn’t meant to be how Jurgen Klopp‘s European journey ended.
Liverpool didn’t overturn their 3-0 deficit from final week, main early by Mohamed Salah‘s penalty however by no means kicking on.
Right here’s how the media assessed the Reds’ newest limp providing.
One other curiously flat efficiency by Liverpool…
The Telegraph‘s Chris Bascombe admitted that the Reds’ win felt “hole”:
“A second leg win over Atalanta was not sufficient to maintain Jurgen Klopp’s treble hopes alive, their Europa League goals evaporating amid the smoke of the firework show in Bergamo. In fact, it was a hole greater than heroic victory for Liverpool, regardless of the promise of Mohamed Salah’s seventh minute penalty.
“The injury of the surprising 3-0 defeat at Anfield was an excessive amount of. The spirit of that Barcelona comeback couldn’t be summoned. Not even the return of Divock Origi himself would have re-energised a strikeforce which has misplaced its spark on the worst time.
“Atalanta had been price their success over the 2 legs however there was no escaping the sense of a wasted alternative for Klopp.
“Liverpool had been pressured to play in panic mode, even when the early penalty provided the platform to make the night extra nervous for the hosts than it finally proved.”
On Twitter, Lewis Steele was barely extra optimistic, however admitted that Liverpool fizzled out:
“Liverpool performed very nicely, I believed, within the first half. However they ran out of concepts after the break as Atalanta retreated and restricted house.
“Stadium is bouncing right here and the social gathering will keep on into the night time. The largest win of Atalanta’s historical past and nicely deserved.”
Miguel Delaney of the Unbiased centered on the meek nature of Liverpool’s exit:
“Liverpool simply didn’t conjure sufficient in opposition to a canny Atalanta, who greater than deserved their place within the Europa League semi-final after a 3-1 combination victory.
“It was all of the extra spectacular provided that Liverpool had been gifted an early purpose, of precisely the sort that always invigorates these ties. Klopp’s aspect as an alternative simply went flat.
“That was essentially the most deflating half, that illustrated why this ended it so meekly. There have been so many moments the place it seemed like Liverpool had been going by attempting to undergo the motions of taking part in their system, however had forgotten how.
“It was a crew figuring out in actual time, however by no means totally doing so.”
This Is Anfield‘s Jack Lusby was saddened by the limp method by which Klopp’s final European sport in cost ended:
“This 1-0 win, which felt nothing like a win, marked the ultimate European sport of Klopp’s tenure at Liverpool.
“He has led Liverpool to 4 European finals, together with within the Europa League in his first season in cost, however will depart with just one Champions League triumph.
“These runs to showpiece clashes in Basel, Kyiv, Madrid and Paris have introduced a number of the finest reminiscences followers might have wished for when Klopp arrived in 2015.
“However this newest exit serves to taint that outstanding legacy, with followers proper to ask: what precisely occurred to make the wheels fall off so dramatically?”
The Mirror‘s David Anderson was additionally in a crucial temper:
“Not even Klopp’s poetry might conceal this humiliation and this can be a main black mark in his closing season.
“Klopp had solely misplaced to the 2 Madrids and Sevilla in his eight European campaigns at Anfield and no person anticipated Atalanta so as to add their identify to that record.
“As spirited as Liverpool had been final night time, the injury was clearly performed at Anfield and even the Reds, with their fabled powers of restoration, couldn’t pull this one again. Actually not the Liverpool of now and all they needed to present for his or her endeavours was an early Mohamed Salah penalty.
“That’s the one purpose they’ve managed of their final three video games and they don’t seem to be again to their finest but. Liverpool had been higher than they’d been at Anfield per week in the past, though that was not arduous, and Klopp will hope they’re climbing out of their low which has rocked their season.”
This has been fairly a journey with Klopp in Europe, although…
Talking on BBC Radio 5 Reside, Julien Laurens was fast to look again on an important European interval beneath Klopp:
“Two [Champions League] finals which is nice in 9 years and the large one was in opposition to Spurs which they gained – that might be particular for Jurgen Klopp.
“In Europe they’ve had some unbelievable video games. The Barcelona sport [2019 semi-final] stays in your thoughts with Divock Origi‘s efficiency, Trent’s nook – that is Jurgen Klopp‘s legacy and their DNA.
“It’s unlucky they might not go all the best way – it was simply to not be.”
Lastly, former Liverpool left-back Stephen Warnock was one other who touched upon a legendary spell with Klopp on the helm:
“Jurgen Klopp has introduced Liverpool followers a number of the biggest years of their lives, competing most years for the Premier League title. To have these good occasions again, they really feel like they’ll compete in opposition to the perfect groups in world soccer.
“Klopp has introduced that connection which was sadly lacking for a lot of, a few years.
“It’s the connection he has had with the town of Liverpool.”
