Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp did not mince words in describing his club's 0-3 home loss in their Europa League tie with Italia Serie A's Atalanta.
The club, the heavy favorite in the match, conceded a goal in the 38th minute when Gianluca Scamacca converted an assist by midfielder Charles De Ketelaere.
Atalanta took a 1-0 lead in the second half, and Liverpool decided to replace three of their starters, including Mohamed Salah, who was relieved by 21-year-old Harvey Elliot.
Salah had a goal disallowed due to offside rule.
They then conceded two more in the 61st and 84th minute.
Klopp, who will resign as manager by the end of this season, called his team's performance the low point of his career with the Reds.
"It was really strange but in football terms it was tactical discipline. There was a big chance for Darwin (Nunez) and then it was unlucky with Harvey, but they scored and we kept playing into their hands," he told reporters.
Klopp said they are now moving on from the disastrous performance and focusing more on their next match.
"We played a bad game and we we deserved to lose. We must feel that now but we have exactly this night to feel bad about it and then we have to build up for Palace."
Liverpool is currently tied with Arsenal in points in the Premier League table for the first spot but the Gunners are ahead by virtue of goal difference.
They are still in contention for two more trophies after winning the EFL Cup in February.
Largest comeback in Europa League history
While the 0-3 result is disheartening for Liverpool fans, history shows that a comeback from such a deficit is not improbable.
The English club should feel even more confident after abandoning the away goal rule.
Valencia had the honor of the largest comeback in Europa League history when it reversed the 3-0 first-leg result against Basel in the competition's quarterfinals.
The team scored 5-0 in the second leg to steal the spot in the semifinals.
Unfortunately, Valencia was in a similar situation when they were buried 0-2 in the first leg against Sevilla.
They won the second leg 3-1 but were defeated by the away goal rule.
Barcelona did it, too. They were even in a deeper hole as they went 0-4 down in their Round of 16 tie with Paris St. Germain in 2017.
Almost everyone gave up, but not Barca coach Luis Enrique, who vowed they could climb out of that hole.
They definitely did when the second aggregate was played on their home turf, Camp Nou, where they forced a 6-1 victory to clinch a 6-5 aggregate score.
Luis Suarez started the charge, scoring a goal in the third minute to give the team confidence.
PSG's Layvin Kurzawa scored an own goal, and then Lionel Messi scored a penalty in the 50th minute to make it 3-0.
Stealing the win became even more reachable in the game's dying minutes when Neymar scored twice.
The comeback was sealed when Roberto scored their sixth goal in extra time.
The media calls this game La Remuntada, which means comeback, and any game of similar nature is tied to Barcelona's improbable feat.
Related article: Virgil Van Dijk Says Liverpool's Draw With Manchester United Is a Loss; Here's Why They're Closer to Title Despite Setback
© 2023 Sportsworldnews.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
