Jurgen Klopp
Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp has insisted his side’s quarter-final tie against Manchester City is not over despite defeating the Premier League leaders 3-0 in the first leg at Anfield on Wednesday night.
Liverpool took a huge step towards qualifying for the semi-final with the impressive win thanks to first-half goals from Mohamed Salah, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Sadio Mane.
“The result is not what we expected but we needed to play more football in the second half,” Klopp said in his post-match interview. “They did not have a lot of chances but we didn’t play much football ourselves. It is only half-time. 3-0 up, good.
“First half was brilliant. It was how football should look. We knew about the quality of City but also about our quality as well. If we could control the game better against a team like Man City and not give the ball away we would be closer to them in the league.
“We defended the passes really good. But I wanted us to play more football. But I am not angry, it is all good.”
Klopp then commented on the injury to Salah who went off injured and the suspension for the second leg of skipper Jordan Henderson.
“We lose one player to injury (Mo Salah) and another – the captain (Jordan Henderson) – to a yellow card so it does not feel good. Mo said he feels good but we will have to see about that,” Klopp, who led Borussia Dortmund to the Champions League final in 2013, added.
He went on to lament the inability of the Premier League to resolve the issue of fixtures as Liverpool prepare to face Everton in the early kick-off on Saturday.
He added: “If we want to see games like this then the Premier League have to think about the fixtures. It should be something good (the game against Everton) and not cause problems.
"We have to find players now for what a lot of people say is the biggest game of the season. I do not feel good about this right now. If I don’t play my best XI against Everton then we know what happens.”