Topic: MATCH PREVIEW - Atalanta v Liverpool - Europa League, Thurs 18 April @ 8pm

[Lisan Al Gaib]

Between now and the end of the season?  Maybe.  In 90 minutes?  No chance.

From doubters to believers and back to doubters again, we've come full circle! We aren't out of it yet, we're capable of winning this by more than the margin needed.

[Kloppage Time]

Palace copied the Atalanta blueprint and we didn't cope well, hopefully the team now have a strategy to cope with the high press,  sadly we have been beaten with our own stick

[redk84]

Just want us to win the game.
Not arsed about the scoreline - as few conceded as possible would be great

[thaddeus]

From doubters to believers and back to doubters again, we've come full circle! We aren't out of it yet, we're capable of winning this by more than the margin needed.

I was never a believer, so there.

[BigCDump]

Nobody does European comebacks as emphatic or as often as us. All true football fans will be tuned into our game. I'm quite excited for it, despite our current malaise.

[newterp]

All out attack aiming for a 6-2 game.

Or do we play it safe for 45 mins and then go for it?

[mikey_LFC]

Gravenberch and Diaz on the left side in this will help I think. They’re great a turning a man and finding space which will be valuable against a man marking side like Atalanta. In the first leg our full backs were too deep against their system too. Need Trent and Robbo on and pushed high up. Spread ourselves wide and they will follow.

[Zlen]

Game plan should be score the first goal.
That's the crucial bulding block to doing anything.
Score first.

If it happens quickly, try and suckerpunch them for another.
If not, keep that and build up the pressure.

But by all fucking means possible do not concede first.

[Jwils21]

Hoping Gakpo starts and puts in a big performance. He's looked off the pace lately but the last couple of games he has looked sharper and more dangerous. Would probably be starting Elliott too as he's been lively.

Not impossible - we've turned around much worse circumstances. Up the reds 

[exiledintheUSA]

Nothing silly, play the game, score first and go from there.

[Too early for flapjacks?]

Bring back the kids. They know how to score and win.

[Kennys from heaven]

Believe it or not, I’m actually sat in Linate airport waiting to come home and have been down the road from Bergamo all day where I’ve been chatting to some (very decent) Atalanta fans.

Their take is that through all the shit (and I was up there watching it) we still created enough chances to put them away and despite being present for that, they were talking pretty sound sense insomuch as that was their cup final and to come out of it like they did was way beyond their expectations. We of course got talking about Crystal Palace and they (not me!) were saying again, we created enough chances to kill that game three times over.


Now I am not for one minute saying that we are going to go through as it’s not just the one game that we’ve been that rank in our finishing, but the fact does remain, that we are still totally and utterly dominating games and creating enough chances to sink a battleship. If we were not doing that, it would be a case of “well done Atalanta - fill yer boots in the semis” but something causes me to pause here and say “not so fast”

Slim as it is, we have a chance. Confidence is at an all-time low all around us, but all it takes is for one spark. One moment and we’re back off again. Whether this comes after Sunday is another matter, but all hope is never lost with this side, so all we can do is hope and pray to Fowler that Thursday will be the night it happens this season.

Back to their fans - they are more than aware that we’re capable of coming back and they were not being false when they were talking of how we’re by far their better team (even though we are not showing it right now) Atalanta have their weaknesses and when I was listening to them, the chances we created exposed them, but we of course, didn’t take them. Bear in mind that we now have Jota back properly and a viable option to start whereas last Thursday was his first foray back. Same with Trent. Same with Ali. Midfield will be key, because they outmuscled us and our movement was non-existent of course which didn’t help, but here we are: 3-0 down at half time and everything stacked against us. The old adage of “get one early and see what happens” is - as always - still very prevalent and must be our mantra. We’re more than capable of starting fast (see what we done against Sparta Prague) and we have to very much be in that frame of mind. We know we have the goals in us despite our best efforts lately and more than enough to outscore anyone on the day. Just got to hope that it happens again.

One small fact that I think has been massively underplayed - Arsenal losing has given us that lifeline again. Faint and tenuous as it is, but it;s not as bleak as it could be after the final whistle. Are we a better side than Atalanta? Most definitely. Like Dua Lipa says “one kiss is all it takes” Well, I don’t want a kiss, but I do want a goal and I’ll make the bold prediction that if we do score first we’ll go through. Concede again, and sayonara of course.

Those lads I was talking to today in Vermacate has possibly given me false hope, but they were genuine enough and they are seriously fearful that if we do get our tails up then we could turn them over big time. All that said, I’ll take us winning and not conceding for once. Just need something to cling on after the past week, but if any of the lads are on here, they do expect a backlash and if (and that’s a fucking big if) you can get into ‘em early doors, that would be exceptionally nice, thank you very much.

Minimum expectation: Just fucking go for it and see what happens. The last thing any of us want to see is a capitulation. Make their fears and our wishes come true, but just for the love of GOD don’t be utterly wank again.
 

[Knight]

I wouldn't be at all surprised if we went through here. Won't be easy but if we play decent and Klopp makes good decisions in terms of preparing us and selecting the team we've got a decent shot.

[HeartAndSoul]

Will need players who are comfortable on the half turn for this one especially in midfield if they play this man to man marking again. Can see the reasons for playing Gravenberch in this one and maybe Elliott too. Just feel like a midfield 3 of Elliott Macca and Gravenberch might lack the athleticism to cover the ground.

[bobadicious]

Game plan should be score the first goal.
That's the crucial bulding block to doing anything.
Score first.

If it happens quickly, try and suckerpunch them for another.
If not, keep that and build up the pressure.

But by all fucking means possible do not concede first.

I would like to think the coaching staff have been warning them about not conceding 1st all season.

[RyanBabel19]

We are capable of beating them, we were poor first leg but we still created a number of openings

For me our issues in the first leg came down to a few key factors.

-Slow build up. We are far too slow at moving the ball around, especially building up from our own defence. It allows sides to all set up the same way against us, defending in numbers, playing on the break, pressing us into mistakes. Any time we speed it up, we open teams up but we just dont seem to stick to that. Loads of possession but a portion of that will be our cbs passing between eachother.

Duels - We lost wayyyy too many duels in the night and looked like we wanted it a lot less than Atalanta did, I lost count of the amount of duels we lost.

Finishing - As with the last few games, when the chances came, we were sub par in finishing them!

We need to come out of the blocks flying for this, take the game to them. We’ve been starting games too slowly for the longest time. Get an early goal, play our normal game and be first to every ball like we can and we would see a very nervy Atalanta

[Snusmumriken]

Been very sceptical about our chances of turning this around since last thursday. But I’m feeling slightly more confident since the Crystal Palace defeat. Why? Law of averages, something has to give soon. We’re still creating more chances than the opposition even if our results tells us otherwise, surely soon the floodgates will open and someone will suffer a real pummeling when it does.

[Wingman]

On paper but the reality is that shipping 3 at home with the rule in place would have been a psychological blow and it was very rare for even strongest teams to overturn results like that.

Now, the equation is a lot simpler. We can forget the first leg and just go and play our game. Losing 3-0 at home was a bad result but losing 3-0 with the away golas rule in place would have been worse because of the added pressure we would have been under.

The psychological impact is a bit underestimated.

The removal of the away goals rule doesn’t make things any better for us. A 4-1 (5-2, 6-3) win this Thursday would have seen us through under the old rule. Under the new rules it takes us to extra time. 

[Paul_h]

one thing I hope we practice before the game is our passing accuracy. 
Was hopeless in the last 2 games. Palace and Atalanta were better than us in this regard..

[Fromola]

Play the kids. They can't do any worse.

[Draex]

Echos of Barca and we know how that turned around, I expect a rally here, Robbo, Van Dijk, Alisson, Salah, Trent won’t go quietly, they know it can be done. They know this is it for Klopp, the season and the league as well pivots on us smashing these men and taking that into the final title run.

[Eeyore]

Will need players who are comfortable on the half turn for this one especially in midfield if they play this man to man marking again. Can see the reasons for playing Gravenberch in this one and maybe Elliott too. Just feel like a midfield 3 of Elliott Macca and Gravenberch might lack the athleticism to cover the ground.

With Trent in the team though we can go long. The way we did at home to Villa. That makes it much harder to press us.

[robertobaggio37]

0-4 for the Reds. We go on and win it. Same with the league, final day, stakes highest they have ever been, it falls to Klopp’s Liverpool. Footballing gods will arrange this, it will be talked about for centuries.

[ToneLa]

lightning don't strike twice

Mo can tho

I think we will win

Turn over the deficit?

I dunno, we've done it before

[Cafe De Paris]

Do we have the stomach for turning this around. Against Barca we got done over there and in the back of the players minds they probably thought they could get back into it. I just can’t see it in this team and the form we are in. We’ve been awful for weeks. Maybe this is where we play our way out of this.

[StL-Dono]

The removal of the away goals rule doesn’t make things any better for us. A 4-1 (5-2, 6-3) win this Thursday would have seen us through under the old rule. Under the new rules it takes us to extra time.

Oh no....   don't bring that logic up again.  This has already been covered.  Ha....   

Which is harder, scoring +3 there against that squad or needing at least +3 at Anfield against Messi and Barca with no Mo or Bobby? 

[Zimagic]

Right, if PSG can beat Barcelona in a CL quarter final, then anything can happen. I believe. Come on you reds!

[DarkOfTheManatee]

When we're on form, a 3-0 away win against a decent Italian side isn't really a massive stretch - I like Atalanta a lot, and it may be that Gasperini has got us genuinely sussed, but it did feel like last week was one of those 'lightning in a bottle' games. We've been terrible at Anfield plenty of times and still very rarely had three put past us (and even then, one was only down to a shoddy individual error).

My main worry, though, is that for big occasions like Barca at Anfield in the past, we've looked hungry and up for the challenge. Even when we ultimately didn't come out on top, like the Madrid CL finals, we played well. Whereas for the recent high pressure games against Man Utd and Palace, we've seemed rushed, weary and nervy.

Think if we can get that early first goal, it'll relax the players, give them confidence, and make them feel like they can control the game rather than try (ineffectively) to play at 100mph.

[Fromola]

Do we have the stomach for turning this around. Against Barca we got done over there and in the back of the players minds they probably thought they could get back into it. I just can’t see it in this team and the form we are in. We’ve been awful for weeks. Maybe this is where we play our way out of this.

On the face of it, no. They look shot.

Early goal and you never know, but it'll be them through on our goal within 40 seconds just like every other team we play.

I'd consider putting some of the youngsters in (Danns/Clark/Mcconnell). A bit of their heart and fearlessness might just give us a boost.

What gives us a chance is we're capable of scoring 3 or 4 goals if we're clinical (i.e. both Prague games). We're awful in both boxes at the moment which is killing us and the midfield is as slow and laboured as last season. First and foremost we need a clean sheet, like with the Barca game.

We never really had a chance 3 goals down to Madrid last season in the second leg, but we wanted to at least show some pride and the game was a non-event. It only becomes interesting if we score first.

[LiverBirdKop]

Just win boys.

[mattD]

Do we have the stomach for turning this around. Against Barca we got done over there and in the back of the players minds they probably thought they could get back into it. I just can’t see it in this team and the form we are in. We’ve been awful for weeks. Maybe this is where we play our way out of this.

I'd say no, this lot have to prove themselves in such difficult situations like the previous team. We were horrifically unlucky in that first leg against Barca, being far superior than them. Not just that but they had to contend with the idea of going trophyless that year given that sucker punch Man City victory against Leicester days before the second leg. So as mentally challenging as you could imagine for a team.

I genuinely believe in the calendar year we were the best team in the world and you had the players at the peak of their form but also guys like Henderson, Milner and co who would run themselves into the ground refusing to give in. Faces like thunder the lot of them even through the hardest parts such as those days before the second leg.

This squad? Not so sure, do I get the hard as nails vibe from Mac, Dom, Diaz, Nunez etc.... not yet. Do I get the sense they will run through a brick wall rather than wilt when they are up against it? No. But it takes one goal against them to put the nerves into them, and then after that, who knows what happens.

[Gifted Right Foot]

Let's start slow, concede a few chances, not learn from that and let them score first.

[latortuga]

All out attack aiming for a 6-2 game.

Or do we play it safe for 45 mins and then go for it?

Down 3-0 you can't waste an entire half playing safe.

You go for it from the first whistle, hope you score the first relatively early, make them second guess themselves and unsure whether to sit or attack.  It will sew panic into their crowd and that will compound the anxiety on the pitch for their players. 

From that point forward the tie is ours to draw level or even advance.

I can see it.

[ScubaSteve]

We score in the first 20 mins and there’s always chance. If it’s 0-0 at HT, we’re out

Strong team, quick passing and Nunez off the bench to cause more chaos and hopefully the goal that sees  us progress

[bobadicious]

We score in the first 20 mins and there’s always chance. If it’s 0-0 at HT, we’re out

Strong team, quick passing and Nunez off the bench to cause more chaos and hopefully the goal that sees  us progress

That's what I'm hoping. We could go out with w imper or this match could completely reenergise us for the end of the season.  Nunez off the bench against a tiring Atalanta to score the winner gives him a much needed boost and he goes on a purple streak. Go out and I think it'll be hard for the team to raise their game for the prem run in. Win and anything is possible again. This game is our season. So so important.

[lionel_messias]

0-4 for the Reds. We go on and win it. Same with the league, final day, stakes highest they have ever been, it falls to Klopp’s Liverpool. Footballing gods will arrange this, it will be talked about for centuries.

Mods! I like this guy, he can stay

[Hestoic]

Nunez, Mo and Jota starting up front with Trent in the team and I think we win and go through.

[NarutoReds]

Logic. If we have done it against Barcelona, we could do it against Atalanta. Logic.

It's not Atletico, Real, Bayern or Sevilla for fook's sake! 

[deano2727]

We can do it, but I'm not sure if we will do it.

Start Jota, Gakpo, Elliot and Trent.

Blitz them in the first 20 minutes and see what happens.

[Wingman]

We score in the first 20 mins and there’s always chance. If it’s 0-0 at HT, we’re out

Seems a harsh rule, why don’t we get the second half?