Liverpool must summon the spirit of Istanbul as it takes on Atalanta in the Europa League on Thursday night. The Reds were stunned 3-0 in the first leg last week and has a huge task on its hands to reach the semi-finals of the competition.

There have of course been famous comebacks before. Under Jürgen Klopp, Liverpool has already overturned a three-goal first leg deficit as Barcelona was swept aside on an unforgettable night in 2019. His side also fought back at this stage of the Europa League in 2016 to knock out Borussia Dortmund.

But both of those comebacks were at Anfield and Liverpool will have to make history if it is to qualify for the last four. Never before have the Reds lost a first-leg tie at home and progressed to the next round.

Liverpool will have to win by at least a three-goal deficit to go through with away goals no longer in play in two-legged UEFA competitions. The rule had been in place since 1965 but was scrapped for the start of the 2021/22 season.

The rule ultimately meant that goals scored away from home counted as double. Matches now go to extra time if the scores are level after the two 90 minutes, with penalties then played if a winning goal cannot be found.

Previously, had Liverpool won the second leg in Italy 4-1 or even 5-2, it would have progressed to the semi-finals on away goals. However now any three-goal winning margin will send the tie to extra time.

UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin said at the time that the away goal rule ultimately stopped teams from playing attacking football. He said: "It dissuades home teams — especially in first legs — from attacking, because they fear conceding a goal that would give their opponents a crucial advantage.

“There is also criticizm of the unfairness, especially in extra time, of obliging the home team to score twice when the away team has scored.”

Ceferin's comments have been justified in this season's competitions, particularly in the Champions League. Manchester City and Real Madrid played out a six-goal thriller in the their quarter-final last week, while Arsenal and Bayern Munich drew 2-2. The two Premier League sides exited the competition in the second leg on Wednesday night.

Liverpool.com says: There were many pros and cons of the away goals rule and the decision to scrap it was a controversial one. It does not impact Liverpool too much as it did not score at Anfield last week, so its task is clear in Italy. If it can progress to the semi-finals it will be a quite incredible achievement.