Man Utd star Rasmus Hojlund rubs salt in Liverpool wounds following shock Europa League defeat against Atalanta

Liverpool suffered a surprising setback at Anfield, thanks to two goals from Gianluca Scamacca and a late Mario Pasalic strike. This result handed Atalanta a well-deserved victory and a significant advantage heading into the quarter-final second leg in Bergamo next week.

Hojlund, who spent only a season with Atalanta before his £72 million transfer to Manchester United last summer, appears to still hold a vested interest in his former club. After the match, the Danish striker took to social media to post a picture of Atalanta players celebrating at Anfield, accompanied by the words 'Mola mia' – a Bergamo saying that translates to 'never give up'.

@rasmus.hoejlund Instagram

Klopp left out the big guns like Mohamed Salah, making six changes to the lineup, following their recent draw with Manchester United. But the courageous move fell flat on its face as the defeat dealt a significant blow to Liverpool's aspirations of securing a spot in a showpiece final in Dublin. Nonetheless, Klopp defended his decision to rotate the squad, citing the necessity to manage the team's workload amid competing on multiple fronts.

With Liverpool set to face Atalanta in Italy next Thursday, the task ahead is daunting. The team must overcome a three-goal deficit to have any chance of progressing to the final four of the Europa League. Before that they have to deal with Crystal Palace at home on Sunday in the Premier League.