SLIM PICKINGS FOR SICK KLOPP
Islam seals 4-in-a-woe for Jurgen
JURGEN KLOPP was left sickened as Liverpool were dumped out of the Carabao Cup after their fourth game without a win.
Shinji Okazaki stepped off the bench to provide Leicester with the spark they needed for the opener before a brilliant finish from Islam Slimani clinched it for the Foxes.
It was a sickening blow for Klopp after his Reds dominated the first half with 76 per cent possession and 13 shots.
He said: “To concede like that makes me really sick. We were much the better team in the first half but didn’t score.
“No one is interested who played the better first half, it is about the team going through.
“We were unlucky in one or two moments and we should have scored three.
“As long as you leave games open, you always have to defend the situations better.”
The Foxes made seven changes as they gave debuts to Austrian defender Aleksandar Dragovic and Spanish midfielder Vicente Iborra.
There was also a second start in the competition for Demarai Gray, who is close to signing a new contract at the King Power.
Klopp made eight changes and new £35million signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was nearly on the scoresheet in the opening minutes but Ben Chilwell made a crucial block after former Dundee United star Andrew Robertson rolled the ball across the box.
From the corner Dominic Solanke dragged a shot wide of the post. At the other end, Danny Ward had to be smart off his line to stop Slimani getting in on goal.
Philippe Coutinho tested keeper Ben Hamer in the 16th minute with a low shot from outside the box.
Solanke had another sniff of goal in the 22nd minute as he diverted Robertson’s cross over.
Robertson also flashed a leftfoot cross-shot across the face of goal in the 26th minute. Ha mer was called into action again in the 30th minute when Oxlade-Chamberlain cut in from the right and drilled a left-foot shot straight at him.
Liverpool were made to pay for their profligacy. Klopp’s halftime gamble to throw on Welsh whizz-kid Ben Woodburn for Coutinho failed to come off as they vanished as a threat. Leicester were over-run in midfield in the first half but improved once Okazaki replaced Leonardo Ulloa, who had a head injury.
The Japanese striker opened the scoring in the 65th minute. Marc Albrighton’s corner was lofted back into the box by Chilwell and Wes Morgan headed it across goal.
Iborra knocked it down to Okazaki to smash a low rightfoot shot into the corner, aided by a Robertson deflection.
Slimani ensured victory with a thunderous left-foot finish into the top corner in the 78th minute from the edge of the area for his third goal in the cup.
Now Klopp will have to shake up his side for Saturday’s televised Premier League clash back at the King Power.