Atalanta host Liverpool on Thursday in the Europa League quarterfinal second leg. The first leg was one of the most shocking results of the season with Atalanta winning 3-0 at Anfield thanks to one of the most incredible team performances from the Italian club. Jurgen Klopp's team needs a miracle to make the comeback in the second tie in Bergamo. Here's what you need to know:
How to watch and odds
- Date: Thursday, April 18 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Gewiss Stadium -- Bergamo, Italy
- Live stream: Paramount+
- Odds: Atalanta +340; Draw +320; Liverpool -155
What happened in the first leg
Atalanta are now on the verge of only their second European semifinal in their history after ending Liverpool's 33-match unbeaten home run in stunning style in the first leg. Two goals from Italian striker Gianluca Scamacca gave Gian Piero Gasperini's side a two-goal lead at Anfield before Mario Pasalic added a third seven minutes from time. Atalanta, who have now lost only one of their last 22 Europa League matches, are at this stage for the second time in three seasons following a 3-2 aggregate win against Sporting Clube in the last 16.
How they got here
Atalanta: This season Gasperini's side finished top of Group D with four wins and two draws from their six matches before taking on group runners-up Sporting CP again in the round of 16, progressing 3-2 on aggregate (1-1 away, 2-1 home).
Liverpool: Klopp's team finished Group E on 12 points, beating Union Saint-Gilloise (2-0), Toulouse (5-1) and LASK (4-0) at Anfield in addition to a 3-1 Matchday 1 win in Austria. That automatically qualified them for the round of 16, where they eased past Sparta Praha.
Team news
Atalanta: After winning the first leg, Atalanta are expected to line up the expected starters again, with Scamacca supported by former AC Milan man Charles De Ketelaere.
Possible Atalanta XI: Musso; Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac; Holm, de Roon, Ederson, Ruggeri; Koopmeiners; De Ketelaere, Scamacca.
Liverpool: Knowing that the comeback is almost impossible, Klopp will rotate some players for the second leg, with Mo Salah who is expected to start on Thursday to play alongside Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz. If things won't don't get better in the second half, it's likely that the German manager will make more rotations.
Possible Liverpool XI: Kelleher; Gomez, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson; Elliott, Mac Allister, C.Jones; Salah, D.Nunez, L.Diaz.
Prediction
The home team is definitely the one expected to go through the quarterfinals. The team wants to replicate the incredible performance of the first leg in front of their home fans as well, but even with half of that performance they should cruise. Pick: Atalanta 1, Liverpool 1.
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