Slot warns Liverpool that Bologna can copy Atalanta triumph | OneFootball

Liverpool manager Arne Slot warns his team must learn the lessons taught by Atalanta and not ‘underestimate’ Bologna in the Champions League tomorrow. ‘It’s a difficult team to beat.’

It kicks off on Wednesday at Anfield at 20.00 UK time (19.00 GMT).

The Reds started their campaign with a 3-1 win away to a Milan side in crisis, while the Rossoblu were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Shakhtar Donetsk after Lukasz Skorupski parried a penalty.

The general assumption in Liverpool is that this should be a walkover, an attitude which Slot is very eager to clamp down on.

“I think Bologna showed last season and this season again that they are a real difficult team to beat because everybody is telling me they only won once, but I’ll tell everyone they only lost once. That means it’s a difficult team to beat,” said Slot in his press conference.

Bologna have stuttered so far under new coach Vincenzo Italiano, managing only one victory 2-1 away to Monza, but their lone defeat was 3-0 at Napoli, along with five stalemates.

In a bid to warn the players about the threat of this fixture, the Dutch coach pointed to last season’s 3-0 Atalanta triumph at Anfield in the Europa League.

“We as Liverpool know how difficult it can be to play against a team that’s man-marking all over the pitch, which is what Bologna does, and what Atalanta did here last season.

“To face an Italian team at Champions League level, we know how difficult it was to face an Italian team on Europa League level, so we don’t underestimate them at all.

“That’s also not what they deserve for the way they played last season and even this season.”

Slot warns of Bologna danger to Liverpool

The Bologna squad is not the same as last term, having lost Riccardo Calafiori to Arsenal and Joshua Zirkzee to Manchester United, plus midfielder Lewis Ferguson to a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee.

Sam Beukema has remained and confirmed that he had been approached by Slot to join his old club Feyenoord, instead moving to AZ Alkmaar.

“I was interested, the club I worked for – that included me – was interested in signing him. He had a real good season with the club he was promoted with. We were looking for a centre-back and we saw a lot of potential in him.

“Unfortunately for us, he made the choice to go to a different club. And unfortunately for him, he chose the wrong club because Feyenoord did much, much, much better than the club he chose! They’re not going to like this at that club he chose! That was also one of my former clubs, that’s why I made the joke!

“But he did really well at AZ Alkmaar and he made a nice transfer to Bologna, where he does really well again. A very good player, looking forward to meeting him and seeing him tomorrow.”