Jürgen Klopp (Liverpool coach, after his team’s home defeat to Atalanta Bergamo, 3-0): “We played a bad game and we deserved to lose. And that’s what we should feel today. But the boys accepted tonight (Thursday) that they felt bad. Then we will have to prepare for the match against Crystal Palace. That’s how it happens. So congratulations to Atalanta. Really well done. That’s it that’s all.
It takes a lot of tactical discipline to do what they did. They played individual marking all over the field. They put pressure on anyone, Curtis and everything else, things like that. This is the reason why they won the match. Because in those moments you just want to be in possession of the ball and marking is uncomfortable when you’re not at your best. This is why so many teams don’t take the risk of doing it. We did not do it. »
Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta Bergamo coach): “They all impressed me, so much so that I decided not to make a change until a few minutes before the end of the match. And then a change in attack, because it was really difficult to touch anything other than a team which held on until the 90th minute in the best possible way.
Now, before the second leg, it is normal to celebrate such an achievement, but we all know very well that we will have to win in 7 days in Bergamo, because Liverpool are a strong team, a team that can score goals, that can also quickly score a lot of goals. We will have to repeat a very precise match in all aspects and with a lot of courage and determination, like today, because everything is still to play for. Although the lead clearly gives us hope now. »