Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini believes beating Liverpool may be his side’s ‘biggest every victory’ after an honestly deserved result at the home of the Premier League champions.
The Reds were simply not at the races in the Champions League on Wednesday night, but the Italians defended well and took their chances when they broke on the counter-attack.
It was like watching the plucky Liverpool team from a few years ago just beginning to understand Jurgen Klopp’s philosophy, as they allowed us time on the ball and made us pay when they won it back.
Speaking after the game, Gasperini said their historic victory is perhaps Atalanta’s biggest ever, but confirmed that if nothing else it’s the most ‘prestigious’ win they’ve earned.
“Obviously this is something which will be written in the pages of history,” the Italian boss is quoted as saying by the Liverpool Echo.
“It is a shame there wasn’t a crowd present, obviously this is a stadium that everyone is aware of its history, it is a part of the history of football.
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“[Liverpool] haven’t lost a Premier League game in 64 [home] matches. This is perhaps our biggest ever victory in our history, certainly our most prestigious.
“These victories allow you to grow and develop and improve.”
You can’t take anything away from them, Atalanta were the better team at Anfield on Wednesday night and they deserve to leave Merseyside with all three points.
It should be noted the Italians are one of the best attacking sides in Europe right now, so any delusions held after the 5-0 win in Bergamo should now have a been quashed.
Liverpool now need to pick up three points from the last two games to qualify by their own hand for the knockout stages of the Champions League, with fixtures against Ajax and Midtjylland forthcoming.