Atalanta vs Liverpool (agg 3-0) – Europa League: Live score, team news and latest updates for Atalanta vs Liverpool and West Ham vs Bayer Leverkusen as Jurgen Klopp makes three changes

Gary McAllister, former Liverpool midfielder, on TNT sports:

They were poor against Atalanta. I thought they played quite well against Palace. They just weren’t clinical in front of goal.

Their record of coming back after conceding an early goal is remarkable but it’s not a position you want to be in. You can’t just keep relying on coming back from conceding a goal. It’s an elite club that has got an amazing record across the two European trophies.

You can never say never with Liverpool. Under Klopp as well, they’re not going to give it up. They need to defend better. As much as they need goals, they need a clean sheet.

The Bayer Leverkusen fans have converged on the London Stadium, they are well up for it tonight.

I’m sure the majority of them are still on cloud nine after winning their first-ever league title the other day.

Another incredible day out for them.

The sun is setting in Bergamo with the beautiful orange sky – a beautiful background for a big night.

Liverpool have checked out the pitch, they look focused for the night ahead, they will be desperate not to take another loss.

You can see the Liverpool fans are ready in their little corner too…

Peter Crouch, former Liverpool striker, speaking on TNT Sports:

It’s difficult to put your finger on it [Liverpool’s issues]. The Palace one we didn’t see coming. Atalanta were the better side. There’s one thing losing that one but you expected a reaction at Anfield against Crystal Palace but it wasn’t there. They did have chances, gilt-edged chances, on another day they’d score three or four. But Palace did a job on them and it was unexpected.

The most important thing is bouncing back from the last two results. You need a performance tonight and to win the game. It’s a huge ask for them to go through. But when you watch those clips of comebacks over the years [maybe they can]. I came here thinking no chance, and then you watch these comebacks and start thinking about the history of the club and in Europe, maybe they can.

Aston Villa’s night is not going to plan.

Lille’s captain, Benjamin Andre, has just fired Lille two nil up in the second leg, meaning the Villans are 3-2 down on aggregate.

They have just under 20 minutes to turn it back around.

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Liverpool have already felt the wrath of Gianluca Scamacca once, and he is certainly a man in form.

Including his brace in the first leg, Scamacca has scored in his last four Europa League appearances. This is the longest-ever scoring run by an Atalanta player in Europe.

Can he inflict more damage on the Reds tonight?

Lewis Steele, Mail Sport, at the Gewiss Stadium:

Jurgen Klopp has gone very strong so it’s clearly a case of win or bust for Liverpool. It’s a big shout to give Cody Gakpo the nod over misfiring Darwin Nunez up top.

It’s also a big night for Trent Alexander-Arnold in his first start for two months. The midfield is very attacking, so it’s evident the Reds are not willing to go down without a fight.

Atalanta make just the two changes from last week’s demolition job, as Sead Kolasinac, formerly of Arsenal, and Aleksei Miranchuk replace Mario Pasalic and Charles De Ketelaere.

Ex-West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacca, who netted a brace at Anfield, keeps his place.

All eyes will be on this man tonight.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was having an exceptional season before injuries took hold of him early in 2024.

Well, after two months out of the side, and two substitute appearances, Aolexander-Arnold is back in from the start.

I can’t wait to see those 60-yard passes, they are a delight!

The new German champions have named their first 11 since being crowned Bundesliga winners.

Xabi Alonso has made three changes from the first leg, with Nathan Tella one of those coming in.

The question is, have these players got over their hangovers yet?

There we go then, Jarrod Bowen is thrown straight back into the starting 11.

David Moyes has made three changes to the side that lost the first leg, with Edson Alvarez and Nayef Aguerd coming into the side.

Lucas Paqueta is unavailable due to suspension.

Jurgen Klopp is not holding back.

The Reds’ boss has made three changes to the side that fell to a 1-0 loss against Crystal Palace, with Cody Gakpo, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Dominik Szoboszlai all coming into the starting 11.

It’s Alexander-Arnold’s first start for Liverpool since Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Burnley on 10 February.

Gian Piero Gasperini, Atalanta manager, speaking on Monday:

I expect the best Liverpool possible, with a team that will come here to play all its chances. We will have to play a great game to get a result.

We know that it will be one of the most important games in our history, if not the most important. But these are things that are said on the eve of the game, then comes the moment when we will have to know how to isolate ourselves.

How does that song go by Bonnie Tyler again? I need a hero…

West Ham certainly need one tonight and they may be in luck as top-scorer Jarrod Bowen may be returning to the fray after injury, as he has been seen arriving at the London Stadium.

The Hammers have really missed his presence up since his injury against Wolves, they didn’t score in either of the two games he was out.

Well, David Moyes is hopeful he will be ready tonight after he returned to training this week.

Can Bowen be the man to turn things around for the Irons?

Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool manager, speaking on Wednesday:

I’m long enough in this business to know that it’s two legs. It’s over when it’s over. We are allowed to play tomorrow which means it has our 1,000% focus. We are only here for one reason.

I remember that I said, ‘if we fail, let’s do it in the most beautiful way’ – and that’s exactly how I see it again. We want to win the game but if we want to win then we’d better play good. If you play good then we have a chance to win it. We will see.

This is where around 900 Liverpool fans will be situated tonight.

It looks like one of those dodgy stands at an athletics track you get taken to for a school competition.

Surprising considering the stadium only got renovated in 2018…

You know exactly what I am about to talk about.

This is not Liverpool’s first rodeo, they are notorious for their European comebacks, with that night in Istanbul back in 2005 (you know the one), topping the lot.

However, when asked about a Reds comeback in Europe, there is another that sticks in everybody’s mind – the 4-0 win over Barcelona at Anfield in 2019.

Liverpool had no hope, 3-0 down after the first leg of a Champions League final, which some would say was unlucky, against one of Europe’s best sides led by the almighty Lionel Messi.

Nobody gave them a chance. However, they believed, and one of the greatest comebacks in European history was born.

Jurgen Klopp’s side went on to win their sixth Champions League title that year, it was the start of a spectacular few years under Jurgen Klopp.

How they will need another one of those performances tonight.

Bayer Leverkusen are a machine.

Under the stewardship of Xabi Alonso, they have gone 44 matches unbeaten in all competitions so far this season, they simply don’t look like losing.

Leverkusen are unbeaten in 10 Europa League matches, winning eight of them. Only from September 1986 to April 1988 have they enjoyed a longer such run in a major European competition, which was 14 games.

After wrapping up the Bundesliga at the weekend, Alonso and Co have their eyes set on European glory.

West Ham could be in for a long night…

You know a task is hard when it’s never been done before.

If Liverpool are to qualify for the Europa League semi-finals, they are going to have to do something that no one has managed before in the competition.

In Europa League history, on 132 occasions the away side has won the first leg of a two-legged tie by three or more goals. Never have any of those leads been overturned.

The Reds are going to have to create history if they want to make the last four.

As Whitney Houston said, there ain’t no mountain high enough.

West Have have an improbable task in front of them tonight, but that doesn’t mean they can surprise the footballing world.

The Hammers are certainly up against it, turning a 2-0 deficit around against the most in-form side in Europe, Bayer Leverkusen, who are yet to lose a game in all competitions, is extremely unlikely.

However, the players can’t think like that. The Hammers will have the benefit of a home crowd unlike their English counterparts Liverpool, which will be a huge help.

Can they put the cat amongst the pigeons?

It’s plain and simple, the Reds have a mammoth assignment in front of them tonight.

When the Reds took to the Anfield turf last week to face a side sixth in Serie A, no one could have foreseen the events that would unfold.

Liverpool hadn’t lost in 14 months at home, but that soon changed. They weren’t just beaten by Atalanta, they were battered while not being able to throw any counter-punches.

Fast forward three days and the Anfield crowd were left stunned once again when Eberechi Eze of Crystal dealt a huge blow to their title hopes, inflicting a second defeat on the Reds within a week.

Tonight is the chance for Liverpool to bounce back. Even if they aren’t to qualify tonight, a win would do them a huge amount of good for their domestic challenge.

The odds are certainly not in their favour, Atalanta showed their quality last week, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they were to cause Liverpool more pain again.

But if anybody can turn this tie around, Liverpool can.

Let’s not forget, it’s not just British sides in action, there are two other huge ties elsewhere in Europe, and throughout the night we will give you updates on the ongoings in both of them.

So, let’s have a look at the other Europa League semi-finals, which I must say are looking very tasty:

• Marseille vs Benfica (agg 1-2) 20:00 GMT
• Roma vs AC Milan (agg 1-0) 20:00 GMT

The pressure is on. It’s do or die for many teams in Europe tonight, none more so than Liverpool and West Ham who will need to achieve the unthinkable to progress to the Europa League last four.

That’s what’s on the line tonight, a Europa League semi-final, and here are the ties we are serving up for you this evening:

• Atalanta vs Liverpool (agg 3-0) 20:00 GMT
• West Ham vs Bayer Leverkusen (agg 0-2) 20:00 GMT

Does anybody detect a hint of de ja vu?

Liverpool have their backs up against the wall to qualify for the Europa League semi-finals after a humbling 3-0 defeat to Atalanta at Anfield in the first leg.

After speaking to Liverpool fans, even they don’t believe they can turn this one around, but you just never know with the Reds – they’ve done it before. Can Jurgen Klopp’s side produce another historical European night?

West Ham are also in need of a miracle this evening at the London Stadium. They face the unbeaten newly-crowned German champions, Bayer Leverkusen, who they were defeated by 2-0, last week.

Both British sides are well and truly down, but they are not out…yet.

Will it be a night to remember? I guess we will all find out together.