Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was quick to admit his payers\u00a0‘lost the plot’ in their 3-0 humbling by Atalanta in the Europa League\u00a0on Thursday night.<\/p>\n
Klopp\u2019s gamble of making six change to his starting line-up backfired as the Italian underdogs became the first team to win at Anfield this season with goals by Gianluca Scamacca (2) and Mario Pasalic, leaving the Reds boss looking dumbfounded watching his side collapse in a shambles and leaving them in need of a miracle in the quarter-final second leg next week.<\/p>\n
This defeat puts paid to the hopes that Liverpool fans have of giving the Klopp a perfect send-off at the Europa League final in Dublin on May 22.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a really bad game, oh my God,\u201d groaned the German manager.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe started really well and then didn’t continue. Before they even scored, we just lost the plot a little bit.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were everywhere and nowhere. Midfield was spread like that, right and left.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn’t recognise it a bit, it was really quite strange.\u201d<\/p>\n
A blunder by goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher gifted Atalanta the half-time lead.<\/p>\n
Klopp made a major switch at the interval bringing Mo Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Andy Robertson off the bench, followed by Luis Diaz after an hour, but to no avail as things actually worsened.<\/p>\n
However he defended his team selection with Liverpool in the midst of a three-horse Premier League title race, with Crystal Palace expected next at Anfield on Sunday.<\/p>\n
\u201cI get the question 100 per cent, if we lose a game, that’s how it is \u2013 the changes. But one of the reasons I would do exactly the same again is because if we want to be good in the rest of the season, we have to make changes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am responsible for this result first, I know that. But the decision (about the starting line-up) would remain the same.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the record, Liverpool once managed to overturn a 3-0 deficit to beat Barcelona and reached the Champions League final in 2019.<\/p>\n
However, this time Klopp isn’t making any predictions about repeating the Barcelona feat next week in Italy.<\/p>\n
‘Can we win 3-0? I have no idea,’ he added.<\/p>\n
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