Liverpool’s aspirations of concluding Jurgen Klopp’s tenure with a European title have been dashed as they were unable to recover from a first-leg deficit against Atalanta.
The Reds made the trip to Italy following a 3-0 loss at Anfield last Thursday and, despite dominating the match for extended periods, they were unable to score the necessary goals and ultimately lost 3-1 on aggregate.
A seventh-minute penalty from Mohamed Salah, awarded after a Trent Alexander-Arnold cross was handled, provided a glimmer of hope.
Towards the end of the first half, the Egyptian forward missed a clear chance when put through one-on-one, but Klopp’s team struggled to create significant opportunities in the second half.
This marks the conclusion of a challenging 12 days for Liverpool, who drew against Manchester United and suffered a defeat at home to Crystal Palace, relinquishing their lead in the Premier League.
The focus will now shift back to the title race, with Liverpool currently in third place behind Arsenal in second and two points behind leaders Manchester City.
The league now stands as their final opportunity to give Klopp a storybook ending to his eight and a half years on Merseyside and build on their success in the Carabao Cup back in February.