In some quarters, Atalanta’s 3-0 win at Anfield was seen as the shock of European football last week but it came as no surprise to Lee Congerton after the past two years at Stadio di Bergamo crafting the current team.
There are ways of losing, and Pep Guardiola made clear that this one, in a game his team dominated, in a shootout they threw away, was acceptable and that he had made his peace with it.
Pep Guardiola’s side could still win the double, but they are not the all-conquering force they were 12 months ago after being knocked out of the Champions League on penalties