Atalanta skipper, Papu Gomez has dedicated Atalanta’s 2-0 win against Liverpool in the Champions League to late Diego Armando Maradona.
Futballnews on Wednesday reported that the Argentine world cup winner suffered a cardiac arrest and passed away at 60. Recently, Maradona underwent successful emergency surgery on Tuesday for a subdural hematoma, and he was recovering.
Tribute messages to one of the best footballers of all time have arrived thick and fast on social media.
After leading his side to victory over the English champions that walloped his lads 5-0 in the first leg a week ago, La Dea forward Gomez added to the list of tributes.
This is seen as an impressive win at Anfield in the Champions League, as Josip Ilicic and Robin Gosens helped the Orobici take revenge for their home defeat.
Gomez, who is also an Argentine international had initially before the game paid tribute to Maradona. He wrote: “Rest in peace Diego ❤️ we are going to miss you a lot, all Argentines and all of us who one day dream of being like you and wearing that number. Today football also died, you gave joy to many people, you did not deserve to spend the rest of your days like this. I send my condolences to family and friends. Everything is very sad.”
What did the victory mean to Gomez and Atalanta as he dedicates it to Maradona?
After the victory over the Reds at Anfield, the Argentine dedicated the win to the legend.
“A joy among so much sadness… today you would be super proud of us, we dedicate this win to you Dieguito,” Gomez wrote on Instagram.
“In English territory, Atalanta made history again. AD10S.”
Liverpool v Atalanta stats
- Liverpool lost a competitive home match by a margin of more than one goal for the first time in 137 matches under Jurgen Klopp.
- This was their heaviest such defeat since August 2015 in the Premier League against West Ham under Brendan Rodgers (0-3).
- Atalanta has won their past four away games in the Champions League, scoring 13 goals in the process and keeping a clean sheet in three of those four victories.
- Atalanta is the first side to win their first visit to Anfield by more than one goal since Spartak Moscow in November 1992 (also 2-0).
- For the first time since the recording of data in the Champions League in 2003-04, Liverpool failed to attempt a shot on target in a home game in the competition.
- Ilicic scored his 50th goal for Atalanta and his first in 12 appearances for the club since scoring four against Valencia in the Champions League in March.
- The Reds attempted just one shot in the first half, their lowest in the opening 45 minutes of a competitive match at Anfield since January 2017, against Chelsea in the Premier League.
