Maybe he had cold feet, says Klopp on Alisson after defeat to Man City
LIVERPOOL: Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp sounded as surprised as everyone watching as he tried to explain two dreadful errors by Brazilian keeper Alisson that helped Manchester City to a crushing 4-1 win at Anfield on Sunday.
Alisson, so often Liverpool’s saviour in the past two seasons, gifted possession to City players twice in the space of three second-half minutes with errant passes and was punished both times as Ilkay Gundogan gave City a 2-1 lead and Raheem Sterling added another.
On a freezing afternoon on Merseyside, a bemused Klopp tried to explain how his keeper had blundered so badly.
“Maybe he had cold feet, it sounds funny but don’t know the situation,” he said of City’s third goal.
Phil Foden rubbed salt in Liverpool’s wounds but the damage had already been done as the champions slipped to a third consecutive home league defeat having not lost any of their previous 68 at Anfield.
“We were good again but then made two massive mistakes that is clear,” Klopp said. “At 3-1 down at this level it is tough to take and then Foden with a genius situation for the fourth goal.
“It is true as well we did not give (Alisson) a lot of options, especially the first one.
“Second yeah, he just mishit the ball...
“He has saved our lives many times, no doubt about that, tonight he made two mistakes, that’s how it is.”
Frustratingly for Klopp, Alisson’s errors followed Mohamed Salah’s equaliser from the penalty spot, after Gundogan had put City in front four minutes after the interval.
Liverpool’s fifth defeat of the season, one more than in the last two seasons put together, left them 10 points below leaders City in fourth place and their hopes of a second successive title are now in tatters.
Considering that Gundogan also wasted a first-half penalty and City had another goal ruled out for offside it was surprising
that Klopp described his side as having played a “brilliant game”.
“Big part of the game was a brilliant game from my side,” Klopp said. “First half played really good football. Second half, City changed the system slightly.
“A little adaptation and we would be in the game again but in the start of the second half we did not give enough options and gave the first goal away.
“If we play football like we did for a long time tonight then we will win football games, 100%.”
Klopp knows that the title dream is almost over and the priority is now on ensuring a top-four spot.
“We will try everything. There are enough games to play to secure that but we have to win games,” he said.
Super-sub Messi leads Barcelona comeback
MADRID: Lionel Messi came off the bench to inspire Barcelona to a 3-2 victory over Real Betis on Sunday, as Ronald Koeman’s rotation gamble just about paid off.
Messi was among several key players rested, with Koeman seemingly prioritising Wednesday’s Copa del Rey semi-final against Sevilla ahead of Barca’s fading title challenge in La Liga.
Defeat would have called that decision into question but Messi drove in an equaliser two minutes after coming on in the second half and then helped set up Francisco Trincao to score a late winner and his first Barcelona goal.
Koeman’s side sit seven points behind La Liga’s leaders Atletico Madrid, who have played two games fewer and face Celta Vigo at home on Monday night.
Success also came at a cost as Barca’s best available central defender Ronald Araujo was forced off with an ankle injury early on.
With Gerard Pique already a long-term absentee, Araujo’s fitness will be a huge concern, especially with a Champions League last 16 first leg at home to Paris Saint-Germain to come, a week after the test against Sevilla.