'Provokes' - Ruben Amorim has already sent Liverpool a stark warning that simply can't be ignored

The majority of the focus when it comes to the remainder of Liverpool’s season has been on the Premier League title race. In truth, it’s scarcely a surprise.

The race to be crowned champions of England is as competitive as it has ever been. With seven games remaining, three teams can claim the silverware. The Reds are firmly in the mix despite a 2-2 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Jurgen Klopp’s men are level on points with Arsenal and a point ahead of Manchester City. Those saying Liverpool have blown their chances is hyperbole.

To win the title in Klopp’s final season as manager would be a magnificent send-off. The German guided the Reds to their first top-flight gong in 30 years in the 2019-20 season yet it could not be fully celebrated because of the Covid-19 pandemic. If they were to win the title this time around, the city would host a monumental party that would go on for several days.

And across the Irish Sea, Dublin could host another gargantuan fiesta. The Republic of Ireland’s capital hosts the Europa League final next month - and Liverpool will be hoping that they can secure their spot. The Reds might be in Europe’s second-tier competition but their involvement has been embraced by supporters and they’d relish making a short jaunt to Eire for the showpiece.

But Klopp is scarcely getting carried away. Liverpool still have four matches to get through - starting against Atalanta. The Reds welcome the Italian club to Anfield in the quarter-final first leg tonight. Klopp’s troops are undoubtedly favourites. Atalanta are sixth in Serie A and suffered a 2-1 defeat by Calgari last weekend.

However, La Dea have proven their quality in Europe. And if there’s one person who knows that then it’s Rubem Amorim. The Portuguese is regarded as the frontrunner to succeed Klopp in the Liverpool hot seat in the summer given the fine job he’s carrying out at Sporting CP.

This season, the Lions are four points clear at the top of the Primeira Liga and into the Portuguese cup final. However, their ambitions of winning a European trophy for the first time in 60 years were ended by Atalanta. Sporting suffered a 3-2 aggregate loss to Gian Piero Gasperini’s side in the last 16.

The two teams were also drawn together in Group D of the competition - with Sporting not winning either game. They were beaten 2-1 at home before being held to a 1-1 draw in Bergamo.

Ahead of the last- 16 defeat, Amorim said: “Atalanta are the kind of team who transform the game into a series of duels, the way they move and create provokes that in the opponent.

“There are many players who are always changing position and we don’t always have time to follow them. Their intensity level is different to what we are used to in Portugal, so we need to raise our game in that sense.

“We have already faced them twice this season and I think we will adapt better. It’s going to be difficult, but I feel we are better prepared this time around.”

This term, Atalanta have defeated AC Milan twice, along with drawing against Juventus on two occasions. Teun Koopmeiners is La Dea’s talisman, having been heavily linked with a switch to Liverpool last summer during a midfield rebuild.

Klopp spoke about the threat of Atalanta at his pre-match press conference. He said: “It’s really outstanding and we know what Atalanta are all about. Gasperini is doing an incredible job there for years and years and it’s difficult to play against Italian teams. It always was: they are tactically super-disciplined and super-dangerous in a lot of areas, so we have to be at our best to get into the next round over these two legs. We are not thinking about the final or something like that, we really have to be at our best.”

It’s not only Liverpool’s current manager who has explained the threat of Atalanta. His potential heir apparent has also spoken of the dangers.