๐ ๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ ๐๐
The attention of European Football fans will shift towards the Europa League as Italian powerhouse Atalanta travels to the English football giants Liverpool for the 1st leg of the quarter-final scheduled to take place on Friday. Their first meeting took place in the 2020-21 season of the Champions League where the two teams were in the same group.
The Reds defeated Sparta Praha in the round of 16 by an aggregate of 11-2 to cement their space in the quarters. With 28 goals this season in the Europa League fixtures, Liverpool has come out as a major dominating force.
Atalanta defeated Sporting Lisbon in the round of 16 with an aggregate score of 3-2. Having already played at Anfield once and winning against the hosts in the 2020-21 Champions League draw, the visitors will be confident enough to give a tough fight on Friday.
Liverpool has been ferocious with their attack and will score multiple goals in the game. Atalanta will also get the advantage of Liverpoolโs weak defence on Friday.
The betting tip is...
More than 1.5 goals will be scored in the match.
58 %
42 %
With Jurgen Klopp leaving this season, the whole club is hoping to give him the farewell gift of Europa League trophy and the Premier League title. A close contest with Arsenal in the Premeir League is but the Reds are behind because of the goal difference. The hosts have showcased their ruthless performance against Sparta Praha in both legs and without a doubt, they are favourites to win the trophy this season.
The Reds are coming home after securing a draw against Manchester United in the previous fixture by 2-2. With possession of 68%, Liverpool failed to win the away points and gain an advantage in the point table. A conversion of a penalty by Mohamed Salah in the 84th minute saved them from a loss.
Overall, Liverpool has recorded an average possession of 61% out of which 64% is recorded at Anfield. They have taken an average of 15.52 shots in every fixture and have converted 15% on targets. Mohamed Salah is their leading goal-scorer with 17 goals and 9 assists on his name. Darwin Nunez has scored 11 goals with 8 assists on his name.
Liverpoolโs devotion and dedication towards their attack remain their primary focus. They have an average of 2.32 goals in every game and at home, they have scored an average of 2.69 goals in every game. However, the Reds remain vulnerable at the back with only 9 clean sheets in 31 fixtures.
Joel Matip (knee), Ben Doak (knee) and Thiago Alcantara (muscle) are the current absentees from the team because of their respective injuries.
Predicted Lineup: Kelleher; Gomez, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Szoboszlai, Endo, Mac Allister; Salah, Gakpo, Diaz
The Nerazzurri stunned everyone by defeating their Portugal counterparts Sporting Lisbon and stopped them from making 2nd consecutive appearance in the quarter-final. The hosts were off to a slow start in the 2nd leg and conceded a goal in the first half but immediately made a comeback in the 2nd half with Lookman scoring in the 46th minute and Scamacca in the 59th minute.
Atalanta is travelling to England after an away loss against the mid-table club Cagliari at Sardegna Arena. The visitors struck earlier as Scamacca scored in the 13th minute but the defence failed to stop the opposition from scoring the winning goal in the 88th minute. Gian Piero Gasperini will be disappointed to see his team fail even after keeping possession of 63%.
Overall, Atalanta has recorded an average possession of 50.2% this season with 53.1% in the Europa League. With an average of 13.53 shots in the ongoing season, Atalanta has scored an average of 2.21 goals in every game. Teun Koopmeiners is their leading goal scorer with 11 goals on his name followed by Gianluca Scamacca who has 8 goals on his name.
Atalantaโs strength lies in creating chances with long shots and using through-ball opportunities. Playing against the Reds, their counter-attacking strategies will be useful, however, the visitors must keep more possession to keep control of the game.
Giorgio Scalvini will be missing out on the fixture because of his hamstring injury.
Predicted Lineup: Musso; Toloi, Djimsiti, Kolasinac; Zappacosta, Ederson, De Roon, Ruggeri; Koopmeiners; Lookman, Scamacca
A thrilling contest is expected between the two teams as they both will be trying to gain quick advantages. However, Atalanta has shown their struggles in keeping the ball and their attack has not been at par. Liverpoolโs primary strength is their attack and because of the same, they have dominated the Europa League.
They also have some vulnerabilities at the back but their attack will compensate for the same. We predict a win for the hosts on Friday.
