Atalanta vs Liverpool LIVE: Europa League result and reaction as Reds knocked out despite win

Now the end is near, and Jurgen Klopp didn’t even get to do it his way. There was no last great European comeback, of the type that really made the German’s legacy at Liverpool. The failure to even get close to such a feat against a resolute Atalanta indicates there may not be one last grand stand in the Premier League, either.

Instead, rather than making everyone lament Klopp’s departure when there might be so much more to give, this was just another match that illustrated this era really is “running out of energy”, as he put it.

This was just too much, in a way you don’t usually hear about a Klopp team.

Read Miguel Delaney’s match report below.

So, Liverpool and West Ham going out means that England have almost no chance of getting that extra Champions League place.

And many in Europe will be celebrating the absence of English clubs from the Champions League semi-finals for only the second time since 2017. It is more about the perceived hubris of the Premier League, especially when they pay £2bn more in wages than any other league and earn billions more in broadcasting revenue.

The world’s greatest show isn’t showing its face in the Champions League semi-finals. 

After tonight’s results – coupled with those in the Champions League last night – it is almost certain that the Premier League will not obtain an extra spot in next season’s edition of Europe’s premier football competition.

The Champions League is being expanded to a 36-team tournament from 2024/25 and two of the extra four places will be awarded to countries whose teams perform best in this season’s European competitions.

With one German and one Italian side beating the two English teams, it’s looking almost certain that England will miss out.

With attention turning back to the Premier League title race, let’s look at the remaining fixtures for each side.

But it’s not over yet. Both Arsenal and Liverpool have two games to play before City’s next Premier League fixture, so, with six games to go, which team has the best fixtures and who has the hardest run of games to end the season? 

Here’s where the title could be won and lost…

In the other tie involving English sides tonight, Aston Villa went through to the Conference League semi-finals, while West Ham fell to new Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen.

Villa won 4-3 on penalties after losing the game 2-1 on the night, while the Hammers drew 1-1, losing 3-1 on aggregate.

Villa will face either Fenerbahce or Olympiacos in the semi-finals.

Jurgen Klopp is next to speak to TNT.

He praises the commitment and desire of his side, saying that it was a tricky game.

“A bit unlucky with Trent, if he was a bit fitter he could go a bit longer, but then we missed that. The longer the game went, we changed [things] but lost structure. We couldn’t create properly, but we won the game and that’s what we wanted to show.

“We can now focus on the league and that’s what we’ll do.

“We’ve created 67 shots in three games that we didn’t win one of. We played not bad in that period. We have two-and-a-half days to make sure we recover. This was the reaction we had to show.

“Let’s put a line under this competition, we would’ve wished we could go to Dublin. Now we have one competition left, and we throw everything into that.”

On TNT, Peter Crouch is criticising Mo Salah for missing that chance in the first half. The Egyptian failed to lob Musso having caught the ‘keeper in no man’s land.

Presenter Jules Breach highlights that it’s now been 360 minutes since Liverpool’s last goal from open play.

Virgil van Dijk is first to come in front of the cameras.

He credits Atalanta, saying that Liverpool showed “great fight”.

“The reality is that we’re out, and we have to very quickly turn this around. We need everyone for the last push.

“We had some opportunities. There was still time, [but] maybe at times we wanted it too quickly. Like I said, credit to Atalanta.”

When asked how difficult the game was, he says that Liverpool created chances, but maybe didn’t make the right decisions.

“We’re out of the competition, and that’s a bad feeling. Showing maturity, showing togetherness, and professionalism, is the key.

“Everyone feels disappointed, but we don’t have a lot of time to be disappointed. Anything is still possible.”

For Liverpool, attention turns to the Premier League title race. The Reds travel to south London to face Fulham at the weekend, before a midweek Merseyside derby against Everton on 24 April. They then face West Ham, Spurs and Villa as they bid to catch Manchester City at the top of the table.

For Atalanta, they continue the hunt for the top five in Serie A, and a place in next season’s Champions League. They face Monza at the weekend, before a midweek Coppa Italia tie against Fiorentina.

The Italian side will be facing either Benfica or Marseille in the semi-finals, the first leg of which takes place on 2 May.