Liverpool will know all about the pain Bayer Leverkusen is suffering right now. Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini even namechecked the Reds after winning the Europa League last night.

The Italian side stunned their German counterparts as Ademola Lookman’s hat-trick earned them a first-ever European trophy. Atalanta simply proved too much for Leverkusen, with their stars putting on a show in Dublin.

The result means Xabi Alonso’s dream of an unbeaten treble in his first full season in charge of the Bundesliga side is over. Unfortunately for the Spaniard, he suffered the same fate as Liverpool.

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The Reds were of course knocked out of the competition by Atalanta in the quarter-finals, and in equally stunning circumstances. Gasperini masterminded a 3-0 win at Anfield that ultimately left Jürgen Klopp’s side with too much to do in the return leg.

The Reds and Leverkusen aren’t the only impressive scalps Atalanta have claimed in the Europa League this season though. The Serie A side also beat Rúben Amorim’s Sporting CP to first in the group stages, before then seeing off the Portuguese champion in the last-16.

And Gasperini was quick to laud his side’s achievements throughout the competition after the victory in Dublin, with Liverpool getting a special mention from the 66-year-old.

“I think we are in history, but the way we won was extraordinary,” Gasperini told Sky Italia. “We repeated the performances of Liverpool and Lisbon.

“Sporting won their league, Liverpool were top of the Premier League when we went there, Bayer Leverkusen absolutely dominated the Bundesliga.”

Having won the Europa League, Atalanta will once again join Liverpool in Europe next season, this time in the Champions League. Arne Slot may hope to avoid Gasperini’s side on this occasion.

Liverpool.com says: You have to hand it to Atalanta, they haven’t had an easy run by any stretch of the imagination. If you beat two of the favorites for the competition, there can’t be much doubt that you deserve to win the whole thing.

Sporting would have been no slouches either, further underlining Gaperini’s achievement. We won’t be too disappointed if Liverpool avoids another meeting with Atalanta next season in the Champions League!