Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp accepted their lack of goal threat failed to put enough pressure on Atalanta to help turn their Europa League quarter-final back in their favour.

Mohamed Salah’s seventh-minute penalty had raised hopes of a Barcelona 2019-style comeback but the Egypt international missed a relatively straightforward lob to make it 2-0 towards the end of the first half and they faded badly after the break as they exited the competition 3-1 on aggregate.

That meant for only the third time in the 21st century, England have no teams in the semi-finals of the Champions League or Europa League/UEFA Cup.

“We didn’t lose the tie tonight, we lost it at home,” Klopp said after a 3-0 first-leg defeat proved decisive.

“It’s very easy to congratulate Atalanta because they deserved to go through. When you win a tie against us 3-1 in especially this way you deserve it absolutely.

“But I loved our game, especially the start. I loved the commitment, desire and power we developed in this game but it was clear we had better score from time to time otherwise it could be tricky over 90 minutes.

“The second goal could have helped a little bit. We have to create a little bit more than we did in the first half as it’s clear you need a result to help destabilise the opponent.

“If you have a second goal it’s a tricky one as the next goal is extra time but we didn’t get to that point and we will never really know how that would have looked.

“Disappointed we didn’t go through but not frustrated or angry. If you don’t deserve it, it’s all good.”

Salah has looked well short of his clinical best since returning from almost two months out with a hamstring problem.

Even though he has scored six in 11 game since he came back two of those have been penalties and he is squandering more chances he would normally be expected to take.

“I’m not particularly concerned. That’s what strikers do. That’s how it it is. We have to go through it, he has to go through it,” added Klopp.

“He is one of most experienced players in the squad. That’s pretty much all.

“It’s not that Mo didn’t miss chances before in his life, that’s part of the game. The penalty was super convincing, a super penalty then the next chance that was unlucky, but it’s not the first time has has missed chances like that.

“I won’t make a big story of it. I’m not particularly concerned.”

Michail Antonio felt officials were against West Ham after European exit

Michail Antonio felt West Ham were up against 14 players as they bowed out of the Europa League to Bayer Leverkusen.

Antonio’s early header gave the Hammers hope of overturning a 2-0 first-leg deficit and inflicting a first defeat of the season on Xabi Alonso’s new Bundesliga champions.

But the bustling striker claimed he did not get a decision all night from card-happy Spanish referee Jose Maria Sanchez and his two assistants.

“It doesn’t feel like you’re playing against 11 men, it feels like you’re playing against 13 or 14 including the two linos,” Antonio told TNT Sports.

“You just have to keep pushing and try and make the decisions go your way. And they just weren’t. We had to keep playing our way and keep being professional.”

West Ham pushed gamely for a second goal to take the tie to extra-time, but as they inevitably flagged Leverkusen substitute Jeremie Frimpong scored with a deflected shot in the last minute to make it 1-1 on the night and 3-1 on aggregate.

It was a valiant effort but ultimately a sad end to another European adventure for last season’s Conference League winners.

“We’re very proud of ourselves, to achieve what we’ve achieved over the last few years is incredible,” added Antonio.

“Three back-to-back years in European quarter-finals I would never have thought that. We were a yo-yo team, fighting relegation, then into Europe.”

Sanchez booked 11 players and sent off West Ham coach Billy McKinlay, and Sebastian Parrilla from Leverkusen’s staff after a touchline altercation.

Asked if that skirmish had anything to do with some bad-tempered exchanges between the benches in last week’s first leg, Alonso said with a grin: “I wouldn’t say no.”

Hammers boss David Moyes was not keen to be drawn on the officiating, but he did say: “I watch a lot of Spanish football but if that’s the way it is you wouldn’t want to watch too many Spanish matches.”

On his side’s performance, he added: “It was a brilliant team performance, I have to say over the two games.

“We played a really good team and we had chances to be two or three up. I couldn’t fault the players at all. If I was going out of Europe I wanted to go out like that.”

In the first half Leverkusen looked as though they may have celebrated their first Bundesliga crown on Sunday a little too much, and Alonso admitted they needed to improve after the break.

“For sure it was a thrilling game,” he said. “Two different halves. First half we knew West Ham would come with high intensity and we were not comfortable with that.

“After they scored one we were lucky not to concede a second one. But we showed character in the second half and the substitutes had a good impact. It was a lesson for us.”

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Liverpool
Liverpool's best and worst players in Europa League exit at hands of Atalanta
Liverpool beat Atalanta in Europa League second leg but knocked out
1-0 victory wasn't enough to overturn 3-0 defeat at Anfield last week
90min rates the team's best and worst players from the performance

By Jamie Spencer
Apr 19, 2024
Liverpool are out of the Europa League
Liverpool are out of the Europa League / Timothy Rogers/GettyImages
Liverpool began this season as favourites to win the Europa League, but that dream came to an end in the quarter-finals on Thursday night.

The Reds might have won 1-0 against Atalanta in Italy, but the Serie A side had already done the damage with a 3-0 margin of victory in the first leg at Anfield a week earlier.

Mohamed Salah's early penalty gave Liverpool the perfect start and hope of mounting a comeback. But that was ultimately as good as it got for Jurgen Klopp's team, who lacked the energy and fight to match Atalanta's superior determination.

Using 90min's player ratings as a guide, who were Liverpool's best and worst players on the night?

Liverpool's best player vs Atalanta
Alisson - 8/10
Alisson was called on a few times
Alisson was called on a few times / Stefano Guidi/GettyImages
Given that Livepool as a whole underwhelmed and disappointed, this was not exactly a high bar. Alisson wasn't super busy in goal but he did make a handful of saves at various points that at least ensured his teammates still had a chance of getting back into the tie.

Without the Brazilian, things would have been over long before they actually were.

Honourable mention
Trent Alexander-Arnold - 7/10
Trent Alexander-Arnold's first start since February
Trent Alexander-Arnold's first start since February / Dan Mullan/GettyImages
With less than one half of football under his belt since recovering from injury, Trent Alexander-Arnold made his first start in more than two months and clocked up 72 minutes.

That in itself is important as Liverpool gear up to now put all their focus on the Premier League title race, especially with Conor Bradley suddenly ruled out until early May. But the No.66 was also a decent creative outlet on the right flank and in midfield that was lost when he was withdrawn.

Liverpool's worst player vs Atalanta
Mohamed Salah - 5/10
Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah scored a penalty but was off his game / Dan Mullan/GettyImages
Mohamed Salah scored without problem from the penalty spot just 12 minutes into the game, but it wasn't that which defined his night. Usually so ruthlessly effective, the Egyptian superstar wasn't at the races and arguably hasn't been consistenly good since an injury at the Africa Cup of Nations.

There was a lack of confidence and sharpness from Salah, who was tellingly substituted with around half an hour (including stoppage time) to play when Liverpool needed at least two more goals. His single worst moment came when Cody Gakpo played him in over the top and an attemped lob over the onrushing goalkeeper was skewed harmlessly wide. For him, it should have been pretty easy.

Dishonourable mention
Alexis Mac Allister - 5/10
Atalanta shut down Alexis Mac Allister
Atalanta shut down Alexis Mac Allister / ISABELLA BONOTTO/GettyImages
It wasn't that Alexis Mac Allister was bad per se, Atalanta just did a really good job of stopping him from being influential at the heart of Liverpool's midfield.

The hosts worked tirelessly to pressure Liverpool players on the ball, denying the likes of Mac Allister the opportunity to pick passes through the lines to create chances. The Argentine was often forced to go backwards or sideways just to keep the ball, or to send it long ineffectively.

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