Van Dijk targets UCL glory after Reds escape
VIRGIL Van Dijk believes Liverpool can use its UEFA Champions League escape against Napoli as a springboard to win Europe’s elite club competition.
Juergen Klopp’s side booked its place in the last 16 with a tense 1-0 win over Napoli at Anfield on Tuesday.
A fine finish from Mohamed Salah put Liverpool ahead, but the Reds needed goalkeeper Alisson Becker to make a superb save to deny Arkadiusz Milik in the closing seconds before they could finally relax.
Liverpool is also top of the English Premier League after going unbeaten in its first 16 games this season, raising the prospect of Klopp’s men winning a first English title since 1990 while also challenging for a sixth European Cup.
Dutch defender Van Dijk sees no reason why Liverpool can’t win the UCL this term after losing last season’s final against Real Madrid. “It’s something that we all want, it’s something that we are going to give everything for,” Van Dijk said.
“We want to play on the highest level and the Champions League, other than the Premier League for us, is the highest level.
“We want to reach the maximum and hopefully do better than we did last year in the Champions League. You need to have dreams, you need to go for it, otherwise why would you be a footballer?”
Liverpool has conceded just six goals in the league this season and, after some less solid displays in its previous UCL games, it managed to replicate that domestic defensive strength to keep Napoli at bay.
Van Dijk revealed much of that is built on the team ethic which means the players being confident enough to challenge each other in order to maintain their high standards.
“You need to be hard with each other. When things aren’t going right you need to tell each other, otherwise it’s going to be too easy. I think that’s a sign of a good team,” he said.
Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund is hoping to avoid ex-coach Klopp and Liverpool when the draw for the UCL last 16 is made on Monday.
Liverpool finished runner-up in Group C, behind Paris-Saint Germain.
“It doesn’t have to be Liverpool in the next round,” CEO HansJoachim Watzke replied tersely when asked if he wants to draw Liverpool in the next round.
After Raphael Guerreiro scored twice in Tuesday’s 2-0 win at Monaco, Dortmund is also into the last 16 as winner of Group A ahead of Atletico Madrid, but eager to avoid Liverpool and Klopp, who led the German club to back to back Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012.
“Liverpool? That would be tough, but whoever we get, it will be tense and difficult,” said Germany midfielder Mario Goetze, who captained Dortmund in Monaco.
The draw for next February’s UCL last 16 ties is scheduled for Nyon on Monday, with Barcelona, PSG, under ex-Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel, Porto and Real Madrid all confirmed group winners alongside Dortmund.