Hat-trick hero Diogo Jota relishing playing alongside 'world class' Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane

Portuguese netted three times in Liverpool's Champions League win at Atalanta

Liverpool's Portuguese striker Diogo Jota celebrates scoring his team's second goal against Atalanta. AFP

Liverpool's Portuguese striker Diogo Jota celebrates scoring his team's second goal. EPA

Atalanta's Colombian forward Duvan Zapata reacts next to Liverpool's Portuguese striker Diogo Jota. AFP

Diogo Jota nets against Atalanta. Reuters

Diogo Jota scored his first hat-trick in Liverpool colours against Atalanta. AFP

Diogo Jota in action. AFP

Liverpool's Portuguese striker Diogo Jota is congratulated by Liverpool's Senegalese striker Sadio Mane after scoring. AFP

Diogo Jota scores Liverpool's fifth goal to complete his hat-trick. Reuters

Liverpool's Diogo Jota scores to make it 5-0. EPA

Liverpool's Portuguese striker Diogo Jota celebrates with the match ball. EPA

Diogo Jota described Liverpool teammates Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane as "world class" after netting his first hat-trick for Liverpool in their 5-0 demolition of Atalanta in the Champions League.

The Portuguese moved to Anfield in a £41 million ($53.3m) deal in September and has proved a valuable addition to Jurgen Klopp's Premier League champions.

With Roberto Firmino struggling for goals, Jota was preferred at the tip of the Reds' attack in Bergamo on Wednesday and repaid his manager's faith in spades.

"Obviously they [Mane and Salah] are two world-class players, we all know their quality which makes it easier for me to do my job because they are outstanding and we had a great game together today," said the 23-year-old, who has now scored in four consecutive games since his move from Wolves.

"Five goals, that doesn't happen so often."

Jota scored a first half brace, completing his hat-trick after 55 minutes after Salah and Mane added two more just after the break in northern Italy.

"We scored early so that's a good moment for me and the team and then we can manage the game our way," Jota added.

The Portuguese became just the second player to score on his first two starts in the Champions League for Liverpool since Robbie Keane 2008, after notching the opener in a 2-0 win over Midtjylland last time out.

"I'm playing in the best team of my career so far," Jota said.

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Atalanta v Liverpool ratings

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Klopp insisted Jota's form does not give him a selection problem with regular striker Firmino rested ahead of the weekend Premier League clash against Manchester City.

"Good performances never give me a headache," said the German.

"For tonight it was clear that it made more sense to use the good shape that Diogo is in and because of the way Atalanta plays in defence it made sense that the skillset of Diogo helps.

"The world is sometimes a really bad place that in the moment when someone is shining we speak immediately of a player who played for us it feels like 500 games in a row, and we would not be in the Champions League if Bobby Firmino would not be with us.

"Tonight Diogo played a super, super game but that says nothing about Bobby."