Europa League Draw

[Steveo]

We did smash them by 5 to nil in Italy first to be fair - but I do remember them being decent at Anfield.

I don’t know how good they are this season but Italians are rarely mugs in competition football.

[miller0863]

Don’t want Leverkusen or Mourinho. Then West Ham, Milan, Atalanta, Benfica and Marseille my favourite draw

That worked out quite well, Atalanta first followed by one of my two most favoured ties as a semi final opponent

Niiiiice

[Kev0909]

We started Rhys williams and Nico williams....this is going back to 2020 too..

A midfield of Milner Jones and Wij.... Jones at the time, wasn't very good to say the least.

We had salah and mane start though, apart from that it was Origi up front.... I wouldn't worry, not to mention salah just got back from Covid.

They was 3rd back then for a few seasons too, they're currently around 6th place I believe, but I think they use to be a better team.

The fact atletico beat Milan the other day who's running away with the italian league, I wouldn't call it a great league still, was a bit of a shock to be fair.

They have a few decent players, scalvini is pretty good at the back..... they also have the mighty ex-everton man Lookman

Yes I did look up some information about that game, as I've forgot and was interested.

[Steveo]

Yea like I said - Don’t fuck about v the Italians - our record v their teams is kinda 50/50

Their current league isn’t what it has been in past eras but they know how to get a result,

http://www.eurocupshistory.com/match/history_land/277-ITA/liverpool_fc_against_italian_clubs

[Insidious]

Sid,are they any good this season?

Yes - but like so many other sides in Europe they are not in their best moment.

Gasperini still has them playing some of the most aesthetically pleasing footie in Europe. They change formation a fair bit, but the underlying principles remain largely the same - the full-backs push up, workmanlike midfield, good forwards. If you had to compare them to anyone it would be like a lesser version of how we played when we had three top forwards and two top full-backs along with 3 of Henderson/Fabinho/Wijnaldum/Milner - though we were obviously way better.

They score a fair bit, but also concede a lot. Part of what makes them exciting (again, comparable to us in Klopp's earlier stages of managing us) is the capacity to blitz a match for 20 minutes.

Ilicic, Zapata and Muriel all have 14 goals or more this season in all comps.

Whilst I like them, I'd be surprised and disappointed if we don't overcome them. Weather their "blitz" spells and we can pick them off on counters. We also have the ability to dominate possession and pen them in.

Good side - but we're better. Inter beat them 4-0 not too long back so I'd 100% back us over a two-legged tie. Their best chance against us would have been the Final as it's a one-off game but I've 180+ minutes our quality should shine through, with all respect to Atalanta.

[Kev0909]

Yea like I said - Don’t fuck about v the Italians - our record v their teams is kinda 50/50

Their current league isn’t what it has been in past eras but they know how to get a result,

http://www.eurocupshistory.com/match/history_land/277-ITA/liverpool_fc_against_italian_clubs

Well you worry about the likes of brentford and Luton so i'm not surprised.

Cheer up stevo, be positive..... we're not playing real madrid, we just battered one of the best sides in the world if diaz could finish we'd have won easily....... oh no not atlanta god help us... ffs

[teesred]

Yes - but like so many other sides in Europe they are not in their best moment.

Gasperini still has them playing some of the most aesthetically pleasing footie in Europe. They change formation a fair bit, but the underlying principles remain largely the same - the full-backs push up, workmanlike midfield, good forwards. If you had to compare them to anyone it would be like a lesser version of how we played when we had three top forwards and two top full-backs along with 3 of Henderson/Fabinho/Wijnaldum/Milner - though we were obviously way better.

They score a fair bit, but also concede a lot. Part of what makes them exciting (again, comparable to us in Klopp's earlier stages of managing us) is the capacity to blitz a match for 20 minutes.

Ilicic, Zapata and Muriel all have 14 goals or more this season in all comps.

Whilst I like them, I'd be surprised and disappointed if we don't overcome them. Weather their "blitz" spells and we can pick them off on counters. We also have the ability to dominate possession and pen them in.

Good side - but we're better. Inter beat them 4-0 not too long back so I'd 100% back us over a two-legged tie. Their best chance against us would have been the Final as it's a one-off game but I've 180+ minutes our quality should shine through, with all respect to Atalanta.

Cheers Sid.
I think Zapata is the forward im thinking of. He looked pretty decent. As soon as you described their midfield as workmanlike I immediately thought of us a season or few back.
I'm not expecting much of a problem though as expectant as that sounds. I think over two legs we are going through against anyone.

[Steveo]

Well you worry about the likes of brentford and Luton so i'm not surprised.

Cheer up stevo, be positive..... we're not playing real madrid, we just battered one of the best sides in the world if diaz could finish we'd have won easily....... oh no not atlanta god help us... ffs

I don't need cheering up mate - and I can’t say I’m too worried about the opposition, just suggesting that we shouldn’t take it as a gimme. It won’t be a cake walk. Still need to take care of business.

Not that Klopp ever would treat it with complacency - but you know how it can be at times when you expect an easy tie.

[BOBPAISLEYFAN]

I don't need cheering up mate - and I can’t say I’m too worried about the opposition, just suggesting that we shouldn’t take it as a gimme. It won’t be a cake walk. Still need to take care of business.

Not that Klopp ever would treat it with complacency - but you know how it can be at times when you expect an easy tie.

Totally agree, our biggest issue in this draw will be ourselves. If we have our attitude right and treat each match as if its our last we should by rights be winning comfortably, but what we did to City last weekend is a lesson to all of us, football is so unpredictable, anyone can beat anyone on the day…

Last week at Anfield, after taking the lead City thought they had won the game, the rest is history. If our attitude and application is not spot on the same can just as easily happen to us, and you can rest assured the Ref will not be giving us a get out of Jail free card like City had enjoyed last weekend.

Same goes for tomorrow, attitude, focus, decision making and finishing has to just be spot on

We absolutely mustn't give the Mancs a fucking sniff tomorrow and if we can do that we should be fine, but trust me if we give them a sniff or give the Refs a chance to influence the result, we could well live to regret it, and it will be a massive missed opportunity for LFC and Klopp in one of his last ever dances for the Reds.

[Nineteenx]

I know what you mean. That Sevilla final was devastating. We should have been home and dry at half time.
The last final against Real. Fucks sake, I was absolutely convinced we were winning that.
Remember Atalanta being a good side. That midfielder Koopmeiners plays for them,they had decent forward too but I forget his name. Not sure if he moved on. Not seen them play since admittedly.

Sid,are they any good this season?

We were robbed by ourselves & officials in both finals v Real - My man Benzema was offside for their goal