Liverpool delivered arguably their worst display of the season as they crumbled to a 3-0 loss to Atalanta in their Europa League quarter-final first leg at Anfield.
Jurgen Klopp’s Reds would surely have fancied their chances at home against a Dea side whose Serie A form has been shaky in recent weeks.
However, Liverpool ended up falling to a dismal defeat as Atalanta cut them open on numerous occasions and put three unanswered goals past them.
Gianluca Scamacca opened the scoring in the 38th minute, firing a first-time finish underneath Caoimhin Kelleher’s body following a Davide Zappacosta cross.
Pundit Jay Bothroyd, covering the match on Sky Sports News, was not impressed by the 25-year-old’s role in the visitors’ opener.
What did Jay Bothroyd say about Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher?
“It was poor from Kelleher,” he said live on air. “This was the first time since Alisson’s injury that has made a huge mistake.”
Admittedly, the Irishman redeemed himself somewhat with a great save from Teun Koopmeiners near the end of the first half.
“This time it was a fantastic save by Kelleher,” said Bothroyd. “He steamed out to close the angle down and smothered it really well.”
Sadly, it didn’t turn out to be a game-changing reprieve. Liverpool went on to concede twice more in the second half.
Scamacca made it 2-0 on the hour mark with another first-time finish, having been given far too much space and time by the Liverpool defence.
Things got even worse for the Reds as Mario Pasalic tapped in from Ederson’s strike in the 84th minute, the home defence static as the third goal went in.
Kelleher didn’t really have a chance for the second but you could argue he could’ve done better with Ederson’s initial shot late on
