Jürgen Klopp: Champions League progress feels really good
Jürgen Klopp reflected on Liverpool reaching the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2009 by saying: ‘It was time that we showed up again.’
However, the Liverpool boss is already targeting a place in the last four after watching his side confirm their safe passage to the next stage with a comfortable goalless draw with FC Porto at Anfield.
The Reds’ ruthless 5-0 victory at Estadio do Dragao three weeks ago rendered Tuesday night’s last-16 second leg a near-foregone conclusion in terms of which team would advance, but Klopp’s men could have enhanced the aggregate scoreline further.
Sadio Mane struck the inside of the post in the first half, before Iker Casillas denied substitutes Mohamed Salah and Danny Ings late on.
Afterwards, Klopp offered his thoughts on the match, his team selection - bearing in mind that Liverpool visit Manchester United on Saturday - the achievement of qualifying for the last eight and much more besides.
Read on for a full transcript of the manager’s post-match press conference…
On what ‘positives’ he took from the game…
Do I need more positives? Probably if you draw in the first game, the away game in the knockout stage, then you win at home it feels maybe different than tonight, but the maximum you can reach and achieve is the next round and we did that in quite a comfortable way. I don’t think it could have been expected [before the tie], so I am really happy about it tonight. It was a big challenge for us, to be honest, in the preparation, it was different to other games, of course. I think the boys did really well - we showed a fantastic attitude, a few pieces of really nice football and we defended very serious. Now we are in the next round, so I don’t need any more positives.
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On the benefits of being able to make five changes to his starting line-up…
Robbo had a little, little issue but not too much. Trent played a lot. Virgil played a lot. Of course, it helps but it was important as rotating to keep the rhythm. We are used to it - we have a game, we prepare for the game, we don’t train too much, so it needs the intensity. For example, Mo Salah - train tomorrow or play tonight for 20 minutes? Sadio, I think it was, for me, not intense, even when he was really lively. It was not about rotation, it was only about finding the right line-up for tonight. I think for Adam, it was very important to play 90 minutes and you could see he got more and more used to it, more and more rhythm again. Ingsy [got] a few minutes, Joe Gomez played after two or three weeks, so it was very, very important. Now we can prepare for the Manchester United game. I’m looking forward to it.
On whether Liverpool can benefit from United’s second leg of their last-16 tie with Sevilla being after this weekend’s Premier League game…
No answer for that, you’ll have to ask in the other press conference on Thursday or Friday. Manchester United are very experienced and very fit, as we saw last night - they can score late, so I don’t think they are too worried about playing on Saturday and then again on Tuesday. Actually, we didn’t think for a second when we played Newcastle that we had to play on Tuesday again. That’s how our life is - do what you have to do and after that, start thinking about the next step. No, I don’t think it’s an advantage. It’s just another game.
On whether it was always his plan to bring Salah on in the closing stages…
It’s normal that everyone thinks about the possibility of injuries but that can happen all the time, to be honest, that’s the problem. It was clear if it was possible that we give him the last 20 or 15 minutes. If it was 15 then he has to train again tomorrow! No, I told him if he runs a lot, he doesn’t have to train tomorrow - I thought he was quite lively!
On his chat with Casillas at the end of the game…
It was his 167th [Champions League] game, right? Wow. I think the whole squad has played less. I don’t say the number of years but he obviously wants to play a few more!
On Jordan Henderson wearing strapping on his leg after full-time…
It was a dead leg. ‘Just’ I don’t know - it’s painful enough but it’s a dead leg and should not be a problem.
On Liverpool reaching the last eight of the Champions League for the first time in nine years…
It feels good, to be honest. It feels really good. I cannot feel what people feel, they wait so long for it, but it feels good and I know about it, of course. The last eight is cool. We’re a little bit satisfied and it’s already good. I think it was time we showed up again. Good development in Liverpool in the moment, it’s a nice moment, but if you don’t show up in a competition like the Champions League then nobody really will realise it. I’m happy for all the people involved that we have made that step. So it’s done, it’s good, now let’s carry on.
On whether the Reds’ progression to this stage has come sooner than he expected…
I never had a timescale for it in my mind and thought ‘then we have to be there and then we have to be there’. I don’t want to make it smaller than it is, but I don’t want to make it bigger than it is. I think this year we belong there, to be honest - it should not be a big surprise. The next round will be very difficult, I think that’s clear. There are seven other very good teams that will be involved. Maybe four of them are then from England and that doesn’t make it easier, to be honest, but I think we’ll have a chance, for sure, to go to the semis and that’s the target. But you’re right, take it step by step and tonight it’s cool, absolutely. This year we had the first opportunity to do it and now we are in it, so I think we are in time.