Atalanta stuns Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield, Leverkusen beats West Ham 2-0 in the Europa League

Atalanta’s Isak Hien, front, and Matteo Ruggeri celebrate after beating 3-0 Liverpool during the Europa League quarter final first leg soccer match at the Anfield stadium in Liverpool, England, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Gianluca Scamacca struck twice as visiting Atalanta upset Liverpool 3-0 in the first leg of the Europa League quarterfinals on Thursday.

Liverpool’s manager Jurgen Klopp, back, gestures during the Europa League quarter final first leg soccer match between Liverpool and Atalanta, at the Anfield stadium in Liverpool, England, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

The loss damages Liverpool’s hopes of a treble of trophies in manager Jurgen Klopp’s final season at Anfield.

Atalanta’s Mario Pasalic celebrates scoring his side’s 3rd goal during the Europa League quarter final first leg soccer match between Liverpool and Atalanta, at the Anfield stadium in Liverpool, England, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

The Italian visitors went into the break up 1-0 after Scamacca got a low drive past goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher in the 38th minute.

Atalanta’s Gianluca Scamacca, second from left, celebrates scoring his side’s opening goal during the Europa League quarter final first leg soccer match between Liverpool and Atalanta, at the Anfield stadium in Liverpool, England, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Klopp sent on Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Andy Robertson as substitutes for the second half, but Scamacca netted again after Charles De Ketelaere fed him at the far post on the hour mark.

Atalanta’s Gianluca Scamacca, right, celebrates scoring his side’s 2nd goal during the Europa League quarter final first leg soccer match between Liverpool and Atalanta, at the Anfield stadium in Liverpool, England, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Mario Pašalić finished the scoring seven minutes from time.

Atalanta’s Teun Koopmeiners, left, and Liverpool’s Joe Gomez fight for the ball during the Europa League quarter final first leg soccer match between Liverpool and Atalanta, at the Anfield stadium in Liverpool, England, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Atalanta won at Anfield 2-0 in the group stage of the Champions League in 2020.

Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface, right, celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during the Europa League quarterfinals first leg soccer match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and West Ham United at the BayArena in Leverkusen, Germany, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Liverpool won the English League Cup and is in a tight Premier League title race with Arsenal and Manchester City. Klopp’s team was eliminated from the FA Cup in the quarterfinals.

Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface, second from right, scores his side’s second goal during the Europa League quarterfinals first leg soccer match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and West Ham United at the BayArena in Leverkusen, Germany, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

The lackluster display Thursday might turn out to be Klopp’s final European game at Anfield. The team needs a big comeback in Bergamo to stay alive.

Leverkusen’s Jonas Hofmann, centre, celebrates with teammates after scoring the opening goal during the Europa League quarterfinals first leg soccer match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and West Ham United at the BayArena in Leverkusen, Germany, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

“That was a bad performance and that’s how it is,” Klopp told TNT Sports. “That’s how we lost. It feels always in this moment that they are through but until we play (them again) they are not.”

Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during the Europa League quarterfinals first leg soccer match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and West Ham United at the BayArena in Leverkusen, Germany, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

If Liverpool reaches the Europa League final in Dublin on May 22, it would be Klopp’s final game in charge after nearly nine years.

Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface, right, scores his side’s second goal during the Europa League quarterfinals first leg soccer match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and West Ham United at the BayArena in Leverkusen, Germany, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Bayer Leverkusen got late goals from substitutes Jonas Hofmann and Victor Boniface to top West Ham 2-0 and extend its unbeaten streak to 42 games in a season that can also end up with a treble of trophies.

Olympiacos’ Stevan Jovetic, center, scores the second goal against Fenerbahce during the Europa Conference League quarter final first leg soccer match between Olympiacos and Fenerbahce at the Georgios Karaiskakis stadium, Piraeus port near Athens, Greece, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Hofmann netted on a rebound in the 83rd before Boniface clinched a well-deserved victory with a header in stoppage time.

Olympiaco’s Kostas Fortounis, right, celebrates with his teammate Olympiacos’ Rodinei after scoring against Fenerbahce during the Europa Conference League quarter final first leg soccer match between Olympiacos and Fenerbahce at the Georgios Karaiskakis stadium, Piraeus port near Athens, Greece, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

With a 16-point lead atop the Bundesliga, Xabi Alonso’s team is on course to clinch its first-ever league title and has reached the German Cup final.

Olympiacos’ Kostas Fortounis, left, and Fenerbahce’s Bright Osayi-Samuel jump for the ball during the Europa Conference League quarter final first leg soccer match between Olympiacos and Fenerbahce at the Georgios Karaiskakis stadium, Piraeus port near Athens, Greece, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

In an all-Italian matchup, Gianluca Mancini headed in a winner off a corner kick from Paulo Dybala to upset AC Milan 1-0 at San Siro.

Plzen’s Matej Vydra, left, duels for the ball with Fiorentina’s Rolando Mandragora during the Europa Conference League quarter final first leg soccer match between Viktoria Plzen and Fiorentina at the Doosan Arena in Plzen, Czech Republic, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Mancini also scored the lone goal in the Italian capital derby against Lazio on Saturday in Serie A.

Fiorentina’s Rolando Mandragora, left, duels for the ball with Plzen’s Tomas Chory during the Europa Conference League quarter final first leg soccer match between Viktoria Plzen and Fiorentina at the Doosan Arena in Plzen, Czech Republic, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

It was the first win for Roma over Milan since October 2019.

Fiorentina’s Nicolas Gonzalez brings out the torch during the Europa Conference League quarter final first leg soccer match between Viktoria Plzen and Fiorentina at the Doosan Arena in Plzen, Czech Republic, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Milan, the seven-time European champion, has never won the second-tier Europa League or its predecessor, the UEFA Cup.

Fiorentina’s Nicolas Gonzalez brings out the torch during the Europa Conference League quarter final first leg soccer match between Viktoria Plzen and Fiorentina at the Doosan Arena in Plzen, Czech Republic, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Milan has never even reached the final — something Roma achieved twice, losing both in 1991 and last year.

Fenerbahce’s Dusan Tadic scores from penalty against Olympiakos during the Europa Conference League quarter final first leg soccer match between Olympiacos and Fenerbahce at the Georgios Karaiskakis stadium, Piraeus port near Athens, Greece, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Rafa Silva and veteran forward Ángel Di María scored in each half for Benfica to beat Marseille 2-1. In an encounter of two former European champions. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang pulled one back for Marseille, which lost its fifth straight game in all competitions.

Olympiakos players celebrates in front of their fans after the end of the Europa Conference League quarter final first leg soccer match between Olympiacos and Fenerbahce at the Georgios Karaiskakis stadium, Piraeus port near Athens, Greece, Thursday, April 11, 2024. Olympiakos won the game 3-2. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Aubameyang has 24 goals this season in total.

Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez, left, and Virgil van Dijk and Atalanta’s Gianluca Scamacca jump for the ball during the Europa League quarter final first leg soccer match between Liverpool and Atalanta, at the Anfield stadium in Liverpool, England, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

The second-leg games will be played next week.

Roma’s Gianluca Mancini celebrates after he scored his side’s first goal during the Europa League quarterfinal first leg soccer match between AC Milan and Roma at the San Siro Stadium, in Milan, Italy, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE

Roma’s Gianluca Mancini, left, celebrates with his teammates after he scored his side’s first goal during the Europa League quarterfinal first leg soccer match between AC Milan and Roma at the San Siro Stadium, in Milan, Italy, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Kostas Fortounis scored and provided an assist to help Olympiakos beat Fenerbahce 3-2 in the first leg of the Europa Conference League quarterfinals on Thursday.

Roma’s goalkeeper Mile Svilar, left, saves on AC Milan’s Tijjani Reijnders during the Europa League quarterfinal first leg soccer match between AC Milan and Roma at the San Siro Stadium, in Milan, Italy, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Olympiakos built a 3-0 lead in Piraeus and held on after the Turkish team fought back with two second-half goals.

AC Milan’s Rafael Leao does an overhead kick during the Europa League quarterfinal first leg soccer match between AC Milan and Roma at the San Siro Stadium, in Milan, Italy, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Fortounis opened the scoring after just eight minutes, netting his fifth goal of the European campaign. He then set up Stevan Jovetić to double the lead before halftime.

AC Milan supporters light flares during the Europa League quarterfinal first leg soccer match between AC Milan and Roma at the San Siro Stadium, in Milan, Italy, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Chiquinho made it 3-0 with a precise low drive approaching the hour mark before Dušan Tadić pulled one back from the penalty spot and İrfan Can Kahveci added the second for Fenerbahce.

Benfica supporters light flares at the stand during the Europa League quarterfinals, first leg, soccer match between SL Benfica and Olympique de Marseille at the Luz stadium in Lisbon, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

Olympiakos is one of the two Greek teams in the last eight hoping to reach a home final in Athens.

Marseille’s Leonardo Balerdi, top left, goes for a header with Benfica’s Nicolas Otamendi during the Europa League quarterfinals, first leg, soccer match between SL Benfica and Olympique de Marseille at the Luz stadium in Lisbon, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

The other, PAOK, lost 1-0 at Club Brugge.

Benfica’s Angel Di Maria, center, scores his side’s second goal past Marseille’s goalkeeper Pau Lopez, right, during the Europa League quarterfinals, first leg, soccer match between SL Benfica and Olympique de Marseille at the Luz stadium in Lisbon, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

Ollie Watkins and captain John McGinn scored early in each half to secure a 2-1 win for Aston Villa over Lille for manager Unai Emery, who claimed the Europa League on four occasions — three times with Sevilla and once with Villarreal.

Benfica’s Angel Di Maria celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during the Europa League quarterfinals, first leg, soccer match between SL Benfica and Olympique de Marseille at the Luz stadium in Lisbon, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

Viktoria Plzeň held last year’s runner-up Fiorentina to a 0-0 draw in what was the first European quarterfinal for the Czech club, which hasn’t conceded a goal for seven straight games in the third-tier competition.

Aston Villa’s head coach Unai Emery reacts during the Europa Conference League quarter final first leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Lille at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)

As Fiorentina looked in control in the second half, the match was interrupted for several minutes because of flares that its fans threw onto the pitch.

Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, left, challenges for the ball with Lille’s Benjamin Andre during the Europa Conference League quarter final first leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Lille at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)

___

Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, right, celebrates after scoring his side’s opening goal during the Europa Conference League quarter final first leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Lille at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Brugge’s Hugo Vetlesen, left, fights for the ball with PAOK’s Magomed Ozdoyev during the Europa Conference League quarter final first leg soccer match between Club Brugge and PAOK at the Jan Breydel Stadium in Bruges, Belgium, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

PAOK’s goalkeeper Dominik Kotarski, second left, makes a save during a penalty shot by Brugge’s Igor Thiago, right, during the Europa Conference League quarter final first leg soccer match between Club Brugge and PAOK at the Jan Breydel Stadium in Bruges, Belgium, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)