Liverpool out of Europa League
ITALIAN football club Atalanta qualified for the second-tier Uefa Europa League semi-finals, despite a 1-0 home at loss to Liverpool on Thursday.
Liverpool’s Egyptian star Mohamed Salah scored an early goal from the penalty spot to give hope to his team in Bergamo.
But it was a difficult task for the visitors after they were beaten 3-0 by Atalanta last week at Anfield.
Atalanta eliminated Liverpool to face French team Olympique Marseille in the semis, which will start on May 2.
“We won the game, and that was the reaction we wanted to show.
It was difficult, and we knew it would be, but Atalanta deserve to go through, 100 per cent,” Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp said.
“We are out, but I am happy with the game. We would have wished that we could have gone to [the final in] Dublin, but that hasn’t happened,” the Liverpool boss added.
Atalanta head coach Gian Piero Gasperini told Italy’s Sky Sport that they are “very happy” to be in the semi-finals and did their best against Liverpool during the two matches.
“We eliminated a great coach and a great team. We put everything into the two matches – first and foremost, our heart,” Gasperini said.
Atalanta, Germany’s Bayer Leverkusen, Olympique Marseille and Italy’s Roma reached the semi-finals.
Leverkusen, who clinched their first-ever German league title last weekend, drew 1-1 at West Ham United in a quarter-final match in London but won 3-1 on aggregate.
Roma beat AC Milan 2-1 to progress, and Olympique Marseille won 4-2 on penalties against Portugal’s Benfica to advance to the semis.
The Europa League semi-finals will be held on May 2 and 9. Ireland’s Dublin Arena will host the final on May 22.