Jurgen Klopp has made it clear from his Liverpool team selection for tonight’s Europa League quarter-final second leg against Atalanta that he doesn’t think this tie is irretrievable.

The Reds have a mountain to climb after losing 3-0 to Gian Piero Gasperini’s side at Anfield last week, but the German has opted for a strong starting line-up for the clash at the Gewiss Stadium.

One intriguing change in attack sees Cody Gakpo come in for Darwin Nunez, with the Uruguayan and Diogo Jota among the substitutes.

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Reacting to the team news on the Liverpool Echo‘s live matchday blog, Paul Gorst stated: “I am surprised a little bit to see Cody Gakpo start, even though the Netherlands frontman has been in decent form of late. In full fairness, he has scored a decent number of goals in this competition this term. Only Darwin Nunez has more than Gakpo’s four.

“It’s a first start since early February for Trent Alexander-Arnold too. How they will need his creativity from deep tonight. Jota and Nunez in reserve is tantalising.”

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Jota is still waiting for his first Liverpool start in two months, although he’s appeared off the bench in the Reds’ last couple of matches since returning from a knee injury (Transfermarkt).

Nunez drops out after a run of just one goal in six matches but he’s already had a telling impact as a substitute this season, coming on to score twice in the dramatic win at Newcastle in August and also getting the 99th-minute winner away to Nottingham Forest a few weeks ago.

The pair have scored 32 times between them in the current campaign, certainly a nice luxury to have in reserve if we need a goal or two during the second half tonight.

Hopefully the starting front three of Luis Diaz, Gakpo and Mo Salah can do the business and rescue Liverpool’s first-leg deficit, but having Jota and Nunez to call upon off the bench is indeed a tantalising prospect if it’s needed.

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Chris Sutton has explained there’s one Liverpool player in particular who he can’t take his eyes off when watching him play.

Despite describing Darwin Nunez as ‘an all action guy’ and someone who ‘puts himself about’ – the former Premier League striker believes the Uruguayan’s finishing ‘isn’t good enough’, however.

The former Benfica forward was one of a number of Liverpool players to miss absolute sitters against Crystal Palace at Anfield on Sunday as the Reds fell to a 1-0 defeat which further dented their title hopes.

Jurgen Klopp’s side now find themselves third in the league table, behind Arsenal on goal difference and two points adrift of current champions Manchester City, with six games to play.

“The player I’d single out is Darwin Nunez,” Sutton said on BBC Radio 5 Live (via Rousing The Kop). “You can’t take your eyes off him when he plays he is an all action guy. He puts himself about, he’s willing, players bounce off him. He’s so, so watchable but his finishing isn’t good enough.

“In moments like that, Liverpool have a ridiculous amount of points from losing positions. Their powers of recovery have been monumental, astonishing at times.

“But he had a golden opportunity against Palace, he has to score it. He doesn’t take it and that is the difference.”

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Liverpool have earned a whopping 27 points from losing positions so far this term – the best in the top flight.

We can’t continue to fall behind in games however, and a slow start against Palace on Sunday cost us massively as we fell further behind in the Premier League title race.

Nunez’s numbers so far this term, 18 goals and 13 assists in 47 games (across all competitions), are impressive but the number of huge chances that he misses is a huge concern.

Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota also missed sitters at the weekend but it’s our No.9 who is doing so week in and week out and it’s starting to cost us.

His work rate and effort is second to none but if he and the rest of his teammates don’t find their shooting boots again in the coming weeks it could be a very disappointing end to the campaign.

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Darren Bent has aired his frustrations about one Liverpool player who he believes has many positive traits but is ‘starting to cost’ his team.

The Reds have been dogged by their wastefulness in attack in recent games, particularly when dropping points to Manchester United and Crystal Palace in recent days, and Darwin Nunez is among those to come under scrutiny.

Speaking on talkSPORT, the former England striker said: “I know Liverpool fans love Darwin Nunez. I like him, but some of those misses are starting to cost Liverpool.

“Listen, I love the things he does. He does so many good things. He’s running around, he works hard, he gets himself into great positions, but that last little bit of composure… At times, you can go ‘ha, it’s funny’, but it gets to a point where you start to go ‘alright, enough’s enough – start putting the ball in the net’.”

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Bent’s sentiments about Nunez would probably be echoed by many Liverpool fans, with the Uruguayan impossible to dislike due to his indefatigable nature but also something of an enigma when it comes to some of the chances that he passes up.

It seems curious to question the finishing ability of a striker who’s already netted 18 times this season, but anyone who watches the Reds on a consistent basis will know that the 24-year-old’s tally ought to be considerably higher.

His recent form is part of the reason why we’re enduring our most difficult spell of the campaign, with his only goal in his last six appearances being the one where he charged down Sheffield United goalkeeper Ivo Grbic and saw the ball ricochet kindly into the net.

Nunez has been unfairly maligned for much of his time in England, but he and Liverpool could certainly do with ending his recent dry spell if we’re to prevent a once-promising season from fading to anti-climax.

You can check out Bent’s comments on Nunez below (from 1:17), via talkSPORT on YouTube:

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Jan Aage Fjortoft has named two Liverpool players who are ‘fun to watch’ but fall short of being worthy of ‘top class’ billing.

The Reds’ recent games have been characterised by the profligacy of their forwards, with a succession of chances not converted in the 2-2 draw at Manchester United and 0-1 defeat at home to Crystal Palace.

Speaking on ESPN FC on Sunday night after the latter result, the ex-Middlesbrough striker picked out Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz as two examples of attackers who lack the true cold-blooded instinct of the world’s best players in that position.

Fjortoft said: “Against Manchester United, [Liverpool] had ten chances. Today against Crystal Palace, maybe not the best play, but they still created ten chances.

“Let’s be honest, Nunez is not a top, top class striker. Diaz is not a top class striker. They are great players, they are fun to watch, they’ve got energy when they’re on top of their game, but they’re not the goalscorer who you’d say ‘yeah, they’re will get 20-30 goals’. No chance.”

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The South American duo haven’t had a bad season by any means, with the Uruguayan netting 18 goals and the Colombian on 13 (Transfermarkt), but unfortunately the 24-year-old’s form has deserted him at the worst possible time for Liverpool.

Nunez has netted just once in his last six games, and even that was fortuitous one against Sheffield United. Diaz, to be fair, has two goals and an assist in his previous four Premier League outings, although it was concerning that he only took one shot during his 66 minutes on the pitch yesterday.

They can both be lethal when at their best, but neither has been at the top of their game recently. Hopefully they can enjoy a hot streak in the final five weeks of the campaign and send an emphatic message to their critics.

You can view Fjortoft’s comments below (from 4:59), via ESPN FC on YouTube:

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Liverpool fans, staff and players alike were left clutching at their hairlines as Curtis Jones failed to put capitalise on Cody Gakpo’s sumptuous through ball.

The Scouse Academy graduate was put through on goal in the second-half and his resulting miss inspired scenes of dejection on the Reds bench.

Substituted striker Darwin Nunez was spotted venting his frustrations at one of the seats as the Merseysiders stumbled toward yet another home defeat in the space of three days.

You can catch the clip below, courtesy of Sky Sports (via @nunez99_):

pic.twitter.com/gylW4TJwko

— @drwnunez hae (@nunez99_) April 14, 2024

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Jamie Carragher was left raging at one Liverpool player during the second half of their Premier League clash against Crystal Palace this afternoon.

The Reds were trailing 0-1 at half-time and spurned a good opportunity to equalise 10 minutes after the interval when Darwin Nunez’s close-range effort was hit straight at Eagles goalkeeper Dean Henderson.

Speaking on co-commentary for Sky Sports in reaction to that missed chance, the ex-LFC defender rued (15:15): “Darwin Nunez has got to score. How often do we say that?”

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Nunez will always be appreciated by Liverpool fans for his indefatigable attitude, even on days when things aren’t going his way.

However, while the £140,000-per-week striker might already have 18 goals this season, it’s inescapable that his tally should be higher when considering the chances that he passes up, and that effort in the 55th minute today is another example.

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The Uruguayan is capable of conjuring show-stopping moments of quality, such as his chipped finish against Brentford in February and his last-gasp winner at Nottingham Forest last month, but far too often he fails to capitalise on opportunities that he’d be expected to score.

If Nunez can add a truly cold-blooded edge to his finishing, he’d be a phenomenal player, but he simply must be more clinical – especially on days like this where Liverpool badly needed him to be at his sharpest.

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Mo Salah has named two of his Liverpool teammates who he believes are vastly underrated outside of the confines of Anfield.

The Reds have had a number of standout performers throughout the Premier League title charge this season, although the Egyptian wanted to highlight a couple of players who he feels haven’t received due credit for their contributions to the team.

When asked in an interview with Stadium Astro which teammates he believes to be underrated, the 31-year-old replied: “I think Darwin [Nunez] and Cody [Gakpo].

“Cody doesn’t get credit from the fans, because I don’t know if they really understand his game or not, but he’s a very, very clever player. I admire the way he thinks; it’s very, very good. He’s young and he wants to learn. He asks a lot of questions, which is really good.

“Darwin is key for us as well. The way he plays, the way he opens space for us is very good, but he doesn’t get a lot of credit because once he misses a chance, others fans jump (on him) and Liverpool fans start defending him and he’s inside that mess. For me, [he’s] one of the best players on the team.”

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Although Gakpo and Nunez have both endured some frustrating performances of late, especially during Liverpool’s two visits to Old Trafford in the past month, both have still made significant contributions to our pursuit of multiple trophies this season.

The Dutchman has 14 goals in total this term, including four on the journey to Carabao Cup glory, while the Uruguay marksman has netted 18 times in 45 appearances across all competitions, including two stoppage time winners in the Premier League (Transfermarkt).

We firmly agree with Salah’s belief that his two fellow Reds attackers haven’t been given the credit that their overall performances have merited and can be easy target for fans’ and pundits’ opprobrium when chances go begging in the final third.

You can view Salah’s response in full below (from 3:50), via Stadium Astro on YouTube:

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The number of chances we missed against Manchester United was painful and Darwin Nunez had arguably the biggest that came the way of Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Now a new angle has been shared of the moment where our No.9 could have passed to Dominik Szoboszlai and it makes it even harder to comprehend how the opportunity passed us by.

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The anger from our No.8 was understandable and it’s such a shame we couldn’t make more of the chance.

We can’t be too harsh on the players that have got us into a position to be level on points at the top of the Premier League though, so let’s hope we can all put this behind us and still have a successful end to the season.

You can view the Nunez chance via @10starBaller on TikTok and @PharooqAlee on X:

Fam, this guy might be tapped pic.twitter.com/eIPVCBIgBO

— devious (@PharooqAlee) April 8, 2024

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Liverpool have been looking for their statement win on their way to a potential second league title under Jurgen Klopp.

Luis Diaz may have put the visitors on the way to an important victory at Old Trafford with a superb first-time finish in the United box.

Darwin Nunez had set up his Colombian teammate with a cute flick-on from a corner.

How many goal contributions for the duo now this season?

You can catch the clip below, courtesy of Sky Sports:

Liverpool draw first blood through Luis Diaz 🩸 pic.twitter.com/U6kbaO0nPZ

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 7, 2024

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You can’t help but feel a little sorry for Sheffield United goalkeeper Ivo Grbic after an appalling error granted Liverpool an opener.

Darwin Nunez put pressure on the Blades’ shotstopper, putting his body in the way of the goal kick, which rebounded in the Uruguayan’s favour into the back of the net.

1-0 to the hosts in what could prove to be a pivotal goal in our nine-game charge towards the league title.

You can catch the clip below, courtesy of TNT Sports:

Ivo Grbić 𝐆𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐒 Darwin Nunez a goal!

The Sheffield United goalkeeper won't want to watch that one back

@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/Z0aKTngap1

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 4, 2024

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Darwin Nunez has been exposed before as a lover of horses and that fact has been beautifully shared by the club in a new video.

In a celebration of World Earth Month, the full clip has enough highlights to keep any Liverpool fan entertained but one reference to our No.9’s Instagram likes is perfect.

READ MORE: (Video) Nunez’s U2 singing outtakes will bring a smile to every Liverpool fan’s face

After the video of someone drawing the animal gained a like from the Uruguayan, the media team had the striker draw his own horse in the video.

It’s a lovely hidden joke that is only there for the most avid supporter.

You can view the Nunez horse like and drawing courtesy of Liverpool FC on YouTube (via @CalvesLikeShaq on X):

Media team are just next level pic.twitter.com/nCs37CCL74

— ً (@CalvesLikeShaq) April 3, 2024

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Darwin Nunez is quickly becoming one of the most well loved members of the Liverpool team and this was on show in a brilliant video on the club’s YouTube account.

Our No.9 joined Mo Salah, Andy Robertson, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ibou Konate and Caoimhin Kelleher to mark World Earth Month and it’s certainly worth a watch.

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Something that’s almost better than the video itself though, is the outtakes at the end and the Uruguayan trying to get his head around U2’s lyrics is great.

The 24-year-old was being taught the words to ‘With Or Without You’ and it’s a joy to behold.

You can watch Nunez’s U2 attempts (from 9:00) via Liverpool FC on YouTube:

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Liverpool fans enjoyed a great day on Easter Sunday and Jurgen Klopp was as delighted as supporters with the result but also wanted to credit the performance of some players individually.

Speaking after the game, the boss said: “We need all the boys. Darwin [Nunez] opened up so many spaces for us, Lucho [Diaz] was incredible, so they all were really good today.”

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Darwin Nunez had a proper No.9 performance where he kept the Brighton defence busy but it was also great to hear such praise for Luis Diaz.

The 27-year-old has been in fine form of late and his goal-scoring impact was just part of an all-round great display for the Reds.

You can watch Klopp’s comments on Nunez and Diaz (from 6:22) via Liverpool FC on YouTube:

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One single word from Darwin Nunez perfectly captured the mood of triumph among the Liverpool squad in the immediate aftermath of the 2-1 win over Brighton today.

Yet again the Reds had to do it the hard way, falling behind to a Danny Welbeck goal inside two minutes before Luis Diaz and Mo Salah turned things around to send Jurgen Klopp’s side top of the table for a few hours at least.

LFC’s social media team uploaded footage of the players making their way back to the dressing room just after full-time, with the Uruguayan particularly exultant.

As Nunez passed the camera, he screamed ‘VAMOS!’ in a clear and succinct expression of his delight with the result, which Liverpool had to earn after a nervy conclusion to the game.

It’s exactly that kind of passion and spirit which encapsulates why Reds fans adore the 24-year-old, who’ll hopefully be bellowing that word of triumph a few more times before the season ends.

You can view the footage of Nunez and his teammates below, via @LFC on X:

Vamos pic.twitter.com/SrKvS3a1zp

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 31, 2024

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Liverpool are preparing to face Brighton at Anfield and it seems that Jurgen Klopp has several members of his team firing on all cylinders ahead of the game.

One such option is Darwin Nunez and a video that has been shared on the club’s social media accounts shows our No.9 in fine form ahead of the match.

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After sitting out Uruguay duty with a fitness concern, it seems the break has been the perfect way for the 24-year-old to restore form and energy for the final months of the campaign.

You can watch the video of Nunez via @LFC on X:

.@Darwinn99 picking out the bottom corners

Watch the latest edition of ‘Inside Training’ on @LFCTV GO, as the Reds prepare for #LIVBHA

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 29, 2024

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