According to SofaScore ratings, both Liverpool players Kelleher and Szoboszlai deserved only 5 points due to their poor performance in the recent defeat against Atalanta.

Despite being significantly favored over Atalanta in the first leg of the Europa League quarterfinals and playing at their home ground, Anfield, Liverpool, under the management of Juergen Klopp, surprisingly suffered a shocking defeat with a scoreline of 0-3.

This was a match where Liverpool, despite enjoying overwhelming ball possession (70% compared to Atalanta’s 30%) and unleashing 18 shots (compared to Atalanta’s 11), saw their high-priced attackers like Diaz, Nunez, or Salah unable to find the back of the net. On the other hand, the Italian side perfectly capitalized on the opportunities they had.

Therefore, it’s no surprise that Scamacca – who scored a brace for Atalanta in this match in the 38th and 60th minutes – received a rating of 9, the highest in the game. Following him closely is his teammate Pasalic with 8.5 points. This is also deserving for Pasalic as he played well throughout the match and scored the decisive goal for Atalanta at Liverpool’s home ground. The lowest-rated player in Atalanta’s starting lineup is defender Isak Hien with 6.5 points.

For Liverpool, goalkeeper Kelleher received the lowest rating with only 5 points for conceding 3 goals. Despite making 4 saves in this match, it’s clear that with Kelleher’s expectations and caliber, he could have done better. Szoboszlai also received 5 points, as the Hungarian international had a less than ideal game. There are opinions suggesting that the former Leipzig player is showing signs of overload due to playing too much in his first year at Liverpool, thus failing to meet expectations.

In Liverpool’s attacking trio in this match, only Gakpo performed well, receiving the highest rating in the team (8 points), while Nunez and Elliott played just averagely. Therefore, they only received ratings of 6 and 6.5, respectively.

1. Tsimikas becomes the weak link.

“Kostas Tsimikas started as the left-back, and his performance in the first half was extremely poor. Liverpool’s first conceded goal originated from Tsimikas being too focused on attacking, neglecting his defensive duties, and allowing Atalanta to exploit the space left behind by him.

2. Kelleher’s Carelessness

In Scamacca’s opening goal, Kelleher should have been able to block the shot from the Atalanta player when the ball hit his position. However, Liverpool’s goalkeeper couldn’t catch the ball or push it out.

3. Scamacca the Hero

“Gianluca Scamacca failed to make a big impression at West Ham after they paid £35.5 million for his services from Sassuolo in July 2022. The striker was signed on a five-year deal after scoring 16 goals in 36 Serie A appearances for Sassuolo in the 2021/22 season.

However, Scamacca only managed to score 8 goals in 27 matches for The Hammers and was sold back to Italy to Atalanta at a loss of £10 million just a year later. And in his first return to England, Scamacca shone with a brace.”

4. Klopp’s Powerlessness

It’s very likely that this will be Klopp’s last European match with Liverpool. The German manager tried to change the outcome of the match by bringing on Robertson, Salah, Szoboszlai, Luis Diaz, and Diogo Jota, but it had no effect.

5. Liverpool’s Lackluster Attack and Weak Defense

“Liverpool has exposed significant vulnerabilities in their defensive line, allowing Atalanta players ample opportunities to shoot and score goals. Defensive stars like Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, and Joe Gomez all had below-par performances.

Meanwhile, the attacking front also had an inefficient day at work. Nunez remained unlucky as usual, while Salah, Jota, and Cody Gakpo all failed to be effective when facing Atalanta’s goal.”