Atalanta ruthlessly put Liverpool to the sword at Anfield last week with a deserved 3-0 victory, but Gian Piero Gasperini’s side then paid the price for four minutes of madness in their subsequent game.
The Nerazzurri seemed well on their way to victory when leading relegation-threatened Verona 2-0 at home after 56 minutes in their Serie A clash on Monday night, but things quickly unravelled for the Europa League contenders.
The visitors’ first goal saw Berat Djimsiti ran ragged as he tried and failed to deal with the surging Tijjani Noslin. He passed inside to Darko Lazovic, who was left with ample time and space to pick his spot and halve the deficit.
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Just three minutes later, Matteo Ruggeri criminally turned his back as Fabien Centonze whipped a cross into the penalty area, and Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi came for the ball but got nowhere near it, with Noslin tucking it home for the equaliser.
Jurgen Klopp will no doubt have noted those defensive lapses from Gasperini’s team and may take encouragement from how easily Verona scored those two goals to rescue a point at the Gewiss Stadium.
Liverpool have produced several legendary European comebacks before, and if a team who sat 17th in Serie A can expose Atalanta’s frailties at the back, then the Reds could certainly do so if they’re at their clinical best on Thursday night.
You can view the two Verona goals from last night below, via @footballontnt on X:
Through the legs of the defender and Darko Lazović gets one back for Hellas Verona 👀
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusuk pic.twitter.com/piFnEF7ap5
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 15, 2024
In the space of four minutes, Atalanta surrender a two-goal lead to Hellas Verona 😬
Liverpool take notes…
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusuk pic.twitter.com/yywSaIBFOt
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 15, 2024