Liverpool vs Atalanta tips and predictions: Reds to make the most of home advantage
- George Dempsey
- 10 April 2024
Liverpool will look to build a healthy lead in the Europa League when Atalanta visit Anfield on Thursday night (2000 BST).
It’s hard not to look at the Europa League quarter-final ties and conclude that Liverpool have been dealt a generous hand.
That’s not to say this is an easy tie, but Atlanta could be considered a preferable opponent to Bayer Leverkusen, AC Milan or even Roma.
The Italians are sixth in Serie A with 50 points, just two ahead of Napoli who could yet pip them to the European places, and they aren’t the force of old.
Their previous two visits to Merseyside were successful as they thrashed Everton 5-1 in 2017 and beat Liverpool 2-0 in the 2020 Champions League.
The Reds thumped them 5-0 just two weeks earlier and perhaps suffered from some complacency in the reverse fixture.
Gian Piero Gasperini is approaching eight years in charge of the club and once again he’s having to reinvent the wheel, but they’re still looking for the key to success on the road.
Anfield is a fortress where Liverpool have avoided defeat in 33 competitive matches, a run including a 100% record in the Europa League.
Union Saint-Gilloise (2-0), Toulouse (5-1), LASK (4-0) and Sparta Prague (6-1) have all been humbled by the Premier League club this season.
Nothing is intimidating about Atalanta’s record of eight wins in 22 away matches, but they’ve won nine of 10 on home soil, and they remain unbeaten in eight European clashes.
Still, Jurgen Klopp’s side are threatening to break records, with Benfica being the only side to win more than four games by a margin of four or more goals in the history of European cup competition.
They possess the firepower to make the most of the home leg, scoring 28 goals so far, just two away from their second-best return in Europe, with the best being 41.
Team news
Allison Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joel Matip, Ben Doak, Thiago Alcantara and Diogo Jota are ruled out for Liverpool.
Virgil van Dijk will partner Ibrahima Konate in defence with Klopp deploying the usual front three of Luiz Diaz, Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez.
Giorgio Scalvini is the only known absentee for the visitors.
The Italians could field as many as four ex-Premier League players with Sead Kolasinac, Marten de Roon, Ademola Lookman and Gianluca Scamacca in their ranks.
Key stats
- Liverpool have won four matches by 4+ goals in the Europa League
- Liverpool have averaged 3.5 goals per game in the Europa League
- Liverpool have won both halves in all four home wins
- Atalanta are unbeaten in eight matches in the Europa League
- Atalanta have scored in all eight Europa League fixtures
