The Liverpool boss addressed the media at Anfield 24 hours before his side’s Champions League qualifying play-off second leg against the Bundesliga outfit.
The Reds take a 2-1 lead into the match after their victory at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena last week.
Read on for a summary of Klopp’s press conference…
On what he expects from Wednesday’s game…
A football game! 100 per cent [intense]. The main difference between this game tomorrow and the game last week is that now everyone knows about the quality of Hoffenheim. I knew it before but I'm pretty sure a lot of people on England didn't expect the quality of Hoffenheim they saw - that’s now clear. For me, it is half-time, and at half-time you have to adjust things, change things in the right direction. The first game was good enough to get a result, the second game needs to be better, that's how it is.
Anfield is a main factor, we all know it, it’s a very special place. Nothing happens by itself - we have to perform, we have to deliver - but then we all know the atmosphere can and will help you. I really hope that everybody is ready for this game, everybody is ready to fight. I would be concerned if the people thought it was a weak side coming from Hoffenheim and we need to be dominant and things like this and each bad pass gets a moan. It will not happen because I know we have a football crowd and they know about the quality and so they are ready to fight. And we are ready to fight too.
Watch: Klopp and Matip's pre-Hoffenheim press conference in full
On whether knowing they must win could make Hoffenheim more dangerous…
That’s a matter of perspective. If you think back to the last German season, if Hoffenheim had ended fifth rather than fourth they wouldn’t have been so happy to go into the Europa League as they are now to potentially play in the Champions League. That’s the same situation for both our teams, Liverpool and Hoffenheim both want to play in the Champions League and we need to accept the challenge. We worked hard for this goal last year and we’ve got a good result coming out of the first leg, as winning at Hoffenheim is no mean feat and I don’t think there are that many teams that have won away at Hoffenheim. But if you think they will come into the game thinking they have nothing to lose, you have another think coming. You’ve seen how dangerous they are, we performed well in the first leg and we need to play very well tomorrow. Anything else that’s covered in the media, that doesn’t really matter. You need to focus that out.
On respect for Hoffenheim and their style…
I think generally speaking in terms of football, respect is something important. It is always important to have respect, but the respect you have is respect for the qualities of the team. It is important that you analyse your opponent and then what you do as a next step is try to prevent that team from playing to their strengths and using those qualities. It is evident everyone to see what the qualities of Hoffenheim are, they have a really clear plan. I really respect what Julian [Nagelsmann] and his team have achieved – they’ve done an excellent job and put a great squad together.
We have a plan, we need to very calm in our approach to the way they play, the way they pass the ball and the way they create half-spaces. They have sufficient players who are good enough and are very offensive. It is excellent the way they play and the way they approach matches and I respect that 100 per cent. We have work to do.
On whether Liverpool have practiced penalties…
I did not make them practice penalties. I allow them to shoot penalties if they fancy doing it after training. They like doing that. There is a possibility. I think everyone knows a penalty shootout is not the perfect scenario, but if it did have to go to penalties we would still try because getting into the next round is our main objective.
On Coutinho…
He can't [start training tomorrow] because on top [of the injury] he is now ill. One other player [was also ill] but with him it was not that serious so he was back in training today. If [Coutinho] would start [training] tomorrow it would take time because he has no training for a long time. [I have] no idea in this moment. We would have to check in the moment when he is back.