Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman is buzzing for their Europa League quarter-final first leg against Liverpool at Anfield on Thursday.
The Italians are hoping to recapture the magic of their 2020 Champions League visit, where they stunned the Reds 2-0 at Anfield before falling 5-0 at home in the return leg. Lookman wasn’t part of that Atalanta squad.
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Liverpool are clear favorites. They’re unbeaten in eight Premier League games and are firing on all cylinders in Europe, scoring 11 goals and conceding only two in their last two Europa League matches.
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Atalanta, on the other hand, are struggling in Serie A. They’ve only won one of their last six games.
Despite their recent form, Ademola Lookman believes Atalanta can pull off an upset.
“This is a massive game, and it’s a chance for us to prove ourselves,” Lookman told The Athletic. “We deserve to be here, so let’s go out and play our brand of football.”
Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini is also excited for the Anfield atmosphere. When these sides met in 2020, fans were absent due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“It’s always a privilege to play at Anfield, one of Europe’s most iconic stadiums,” Gasperini said in a pre-match interview. “Last time it was empty, so we’re looking forward to experiencing the real Anfield.
“We’ve had two defeats, which have cancelled out our victory over Napoli just over a week ago. We will play this game trying to make up for the defeat against Cagliari, which was tough to take because of the goal going in in the final few minutes.”
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