Now Ox turns his sights to the title
LIVERPOOL star Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain says his side will be back for Manchester City’s Premier League crown next season after dumping them out of the Champions League. The Reds midfielder, instrumental in the quarter-final win, says three wins in their last three meetings show Jurgen Klopp’s men will be realistic contenders next season. “This is a massive confidence-booster,” said Oxlade-Chamberlain after the 5-1 aggregate victory over the Premier League champions-elect.
“To beat City twice is no easy feat. We did it twice in a week and earlier this season. It just shows that we can beat anyone in this league.
“Hopefully now it is on us – whoever we get in the next round – to prove we can beat people in Europe as well.” Liverpool last reached the semi-finals in 2008 and will discover their opponents at 12pm tomorrow.
And Oxlade-Chamberlain says they will not be overawed whoever they face.
“I don’t really mind [who they draw]. People might say Roma, but look what they did – they performed amazingly well and look a great side,” he said.
“It doesn’t matter who we get, we can beat anyone. It’s massive and it is everything you dream of when you are a young lad. You want to play in finals and they don’t come much bigger than the Champions League final, so we’ve made my dream that one step closer by getting into the semi-finals.”
The midfielder revealed Liverpool turned around their second-leg performance off the back of a half-time “rocket” from Klopp after finding themselves under the cosh during the first period.
“He calmed us down and then gave us a bit of a rocket and said, ‘No matter what we do now, if we go out, we are going to do it our way’.”