Klopp keeps cautious despite Reds’ romp
Liverpool boss says his side must ‘work like hell’ to finish off City
LIVERPOOL — Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp warned his side will still have to “work like hell” to reach the Champions League semifinals despite taking a commanding 3-0 quarterfinal first-leg lead over runaway Premier League leader Manchester City.
City leads Liverpool by 18 points in the Premier League, but its only league defeat this season came in a 4-3 thriller at Anfield in January, and it suffered an even worse fate on Wednesday to leave its hopes of winning the European Cup for a first time hanging by a thread.
Just as in the January meeting between the sides, the prolific Mohamed Salah, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Sadio Mane were on target for the host.
“We beat the best team in the world so that’s a really good performance,” said Klopp.
“It was good tonight, but I am not interested in being good. In this competition it is about going to the next round, and we are not in the next round. Let’s talk about it after the next game.
“We will really have to work there again like hell.”
Klopp’s caution is born out of the fact that City thrashed 10-man Liverpool 5-0 in their only previous meeting at Etihad Stadium this season.
“We conceded there already five. How can I say it is not possible?”
City boss Pep Guardiola insisted he still believes despite his side’s most comprehensive defeat of the campaign.
“I think in this room there is nobody except the guy talking to you who believes we are going to go through,” said Guardiola.
“Tomorrow we are going to try to convince ourselves that in six days it is 90 minutes more and we are going to try.”
Liverpool’s night was slightly marred when Salah limped off with an injury early in the second half.
“After the game he said: ‘I will be good, I will be fine.’ But now we have to wait for the real diagnosis,” added Klopp on the Egyptian star’s fitness.
City could already be crowned English champion by the time the sides meet again for the second leg in six days’ time should it beat Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United in Saturday’s derby.
Guardiola’s side has been in stunning form for the large majority of the season, but he lamented a poor 20-minute period in the first half that has likely cost them a shot at European glory.
“The result is tough but I don’t have (the) feeling we played to concede that result,” said Guardiola. “But in this competition (what happens) in the boxes makes all the difference and they were so good in those situations.”
City was well aware of the cauldron it was facing from the off as its team bus was battered by bottles and cans on its arrival at Anfield.
Klopp was quick to apologize as was the club in a strongly worded statement condemning the actions of its own supporters.