Liverpool face an uphill task after a Europa League quarter-final first leg humbling by Atalanta.
Gianluca Scamacca broke the deadlock for the visitors shortly before the interval with a shot that squirmed under Caoimhin Kelleher in The Kop’s net.
The former West Ham striker punished Jurgen Klopp’s side further in the second half by sweeping home a second from Charles De Ketelaere’s cross.
Insult was added to injury as La Dea plundered a third as Dominik Szoboszlai was easily dispossessed, culminating in Mario Pasalic slotting a simple finish.
Here were the key talking points from Anfield:
Lacklustre Reds need a miracle
This was not how Jurgen Klopp’s farewell tour was supposed to play out.
Liverpool’s quadruple quest has already been downgraded and now a treble looks fanciful after their first home defeat from 34 matches in all competitions.
Atalanta arrived at Anfield armed with a roadmap to victory, having won once already here in a Champions League group stage meeting during 2020/21.
If Gian Piero Gasperini’s side returned to Merseyside underestimated, they firmly shattered that illusion with a commanding display and first-leg lead.
In truth, their lacklustre hosts never really got going in the first half save for Harvey Elliott’s well-taken strike which cannoned back off the woodwork.
Home advantage was always going to be key in this tie, with the Reds eager to take something tangible into their return encounter in Bergamo next week.
Yet the prospect of Klopp receiving a fitting send-off in Dublin disintegrated with his side’s heaviest continental defeat since Real Madrid a year ago.
Given the German’s track record, an improbable comeback cannot be fully discounted but a miracle is now required on the back of this chastening night.
Klopp’s cavalry plan falls flat
Liverpool’s substitutes bench made for welcome reading ahead of kick-off.
The trio of Diogo Jota, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Stefan Bajectic all returned to the matchday squad following their respective injury lay-offs.
Klopp initially turned to other options, unleashing Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Dominik Szoboszlai as the early second-half cavalry.
With momentum briefly ebbing back towards his side after the interval, the Liverpool manager sent on Luis Diaz before Atalanta struck for a second time.
Jota’s introduction in place of Wataru Endo offered an initial spark as The Kop yearned for something, anything to salvage a fading Europa League dream.
Shifting to a four-pronged attack, however, was a last throw of the dice with the game already long slipping out of reach thanks to La Dea’s dominance.
Klopp’s quality in depth augurs well for a punishing end of season run-in which will put his side through six games in the space of 16 days.
Still, it will take time to bring them up to speed as this flat offering proved.
Flag stand-off marks new FSG low
Liverpool fans’ relationship with owners Fenway Sports Group has been, to put it politely, testing during intermittent spells of their 13 years at the helm.
Whenever John Henry and co. see fit to disrupt Anfield’s delicate ecosystem for capital gain, supporters are seldom backward in coming forward about it.
Matchdays have seen the Americans sent warning shots from the terraces, ranging from the bid to trademark the Liverbird to the row over ticket prices.
It was because of the latter that The Kop was entirely devoid of its rich tapestry of flags on the countdown to kick-off on Thursday evening.
Two prominent banners stationed at the foot of the famous terrace accused FSG of prioritising ‘greed’ and implored a rethink on the latest price increase.
Spion Kop 1906 have only threatened such action once before, when the misguided move to join the European Super League arose in spring 2021.
A hasty U-turn, coupled with a public apology by Henry, avoided the stadium being entirely bare for its next behind-closed-doors game against Newcastle.
That no level of compromise could be reached, admittedly at short notice, with the Boston powerbrokers marks a new low in their ownership of the club.