ESPN FC’s Steve Nicol believes if Napoli try to take the game to Liverpool, they could be in for a painful night at Anfield.
Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk spoke to ESPN about how he still feels he can reach another level at the club and that the team will achieve something special soon.
With Man City not playing until later, Liverpool moved to the top of the Premier League table after sweeping aside Bournemouth thanks to a Mohamed Salah hat trick.
With Man City not playing until later, Liverpool moved to the top of the Premier League table after sweeping aside Bournemouth thanks to a Mohamed Salah hat trick.
With Man City not playing until later, Liverpool moved to the top of the Premier League table after sweeping aside Bournemouth thanks to a Mohamed Salah hat trick.
LIVERPOOL, England — Jurgen Klopp has said Liverpool have nobody but themselves to blame as their Champions League future hangs in the balance.
Liverpool face Napoli at Anfield on Tuesday knowing a 1-0 win, or a victory by a margin of two goals or more, will assure them of qualification.
But matters could become complicated if they win 2-1, 3-2 or 4-3, and they would be eliminated by a Paris Saint-Germain victory at Red Star Belgrade. Any win sends them through if PSG lose or draw in Belgrade.
Klopp’s side, finalists last season, have lost all three of their Group C away matches to leave them in danger of elimination.
“We knew it after the Napoli game, that was not good enough to get something. Belgrade was not better,” the manager told a news conference on Monday.
“Paris was an OK away game — in the Champions League, you can lose against PSG in their stadium. We gave them a proper game, but we lost it.
“So far at home we are good, but we have to be even better tomorrow night. I told the boys, I really think if nothing special happens with refereeing decisions or whatever, we get what we deserve.
“The only way to make sure of that is that we really perform in the two big parts of the game, defending and offensive.
“We caused the situation in a good way and in a bad way. The group is a hard one — that was clear when we got the draw. Now we have the chance still to go through, and that is special after the campaign we played so far.
“We have to create a special atmosphere with the way we play, and we have to use the atmosphere as well. I am really looking forward to it. It is a big opportunity for us, and we will try everything to put it right.”
Defender Virgil van Dijk urged Liverpool to draw on the confidence generated by their unbeaten Premier League season so far and said: “It’s our own fault that we are in this position, but we have a way to get out of this and we need to do it tomorrow.
“We want to everyone in the world that we belong in the Champions League.”
Sadio Mane is fit to return to the starting XI after a foot injury limited him to a substitute appearance in Saturday’s win at Bournemouth.
Dejan Lovren will continue to be assessed for a concussion, while Adam Lallana has been training normally despite requiring four stitches after a clash of heads on the south coast.
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