“Where was he?”: Liverpool player blamed for conceding “glorious” chance

Jurgen Klopp's aspirations for a treble with Liverpool took a massive hit following a sobering 3-0 defeat to Serie A side Atalanta, effectively dashing their Europa League hopes.

Heading into the match, Liverpool were the clear favourites, especially against an Atalanta team that had managed only two wins in their last nine outings across all competitions.

The stage seemed set for a straightforward victory for the Reds at Anfield.

However, Atalanta turned the tables with a stellar performance.

Under the tactical acumen of Gian Piero Gasperini, players like Teun Koopmeiners - who has been linked with a move to Liverpool - Gianluca Scamacca, Charles De Ketelaere, and Mario Pasalic dominated the match.

Atalanta's pressing was relentless throughout the first half, and they capitalised on Liverpool's desperation in the second half with effective counter-attacks, with Scamacca netting twice and Pasalic sealing the win with a third goal.

Liverpool's performance was disorganised at best. Klopp's tactical changes backfired, leading to frequent turnovers and defensive gaps that Atalanta exploited masterfully.

Notably, Scamacca's opening goal underscored Liverpool's woes, as Koopmeiners found an alarming amount of space on the right flank, prompting a crucial intervention from Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher.

Kostas Tsimikas gets singled out by Steve McManaman

As the first half drew to a close, Steve McManaman, providing commentary for TNT Sports, expressed disbelief at the amount of room afforded to Koopmeiners by Liverpool's defence, particularly criticising left-back Konstantinos Tsimikas.

He ranted: "Where was the left-back? A big touch allowed Kelleher to get in close. He [Koopmeiners] was in glorious isolation again down this right-hand side. Where is Tsimikas?"

Klopp responded with four substitutions at halftime, including benching Tsimikas, but the adjustments failed to spark a turnaround.

Atalanta added two more goals, compounding Liverpool’s misery.

The loss marks a significant setback for Liverpool, who have already secured the Carabao Cup and are contenders for the Premier League title.