Liverpool face a daunting challenge in the Europa League quarter-final second leg following a surprising 3-0 defeat against Atalanta at Anfield.
Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher has advised Jurgen Klopp to shift focus from the Europa League and concentrate on the Premier League title race following their loss to Atalanta.
Despite being favoured to win the tournament, Liverpool’s prospects now seem uncertain after a disappointing 3-0 defeat at Anfield in the first leg of the quarter-final. Goals from Gianluca Scamacca and Mario Pasalic marred the night for the Reds.
The setback leaves Liverpool with a daunting task in the return leg in Italy next week. However, it’s worth noting that Liverpool secured a convincing 5-0 victory on their previous visit to Atalanta in November 2020. Replicating that performance could see them overturn the tie.
Ahead of the upcoming game, Liverpool’s focus shifts back to Premier League affairs. They face Crystal Palace at Anfield on Thursday afternoon, currently sitting in second place, trailing Arsenal solely on goal difference.
The tight title race, coupled with the impending challenge in the second leg, has prompted Carragher to advocate for Jurgen Klopp to make a crucial decision before their journey to Italy. He shared his assessment on X (formerly Twitter) following the conclusion of the match.
“Awful result & performance from Liverpool,” he wrote. “The only consolation about getting beat so heavily is Jurgen should play a full second string in the second leg & go all in for the league!”
After their second leg match in Italy next week, Liverpool will face Fulham at Craven Cottage just three days later.
They’ll swiftly return to action for the Merseyside derby against Everton, with both matches potentially influencing the title race as the season progresses.
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