Klopp banks on Fortress Anfield

LIVERPOOL. - Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp, wants his Reds to use the magic of Fortress Anfield in their UEFA Champions League semi-final against Villarreal tonight.

Anfield has been a good hunting place for the Reds.

“Whatever result we get tomorrow (tonight) it will be an incredibly emotional at Villarreal so we have to create that tomorrow night as well.

“It’s nice when you play first away, then you have a result you can fight for something in the second half at home with your crowd but who cares, that’s now how it is so we really have to be completely on top of our game.

“Our supporters are smart supporters, they know and they watch football, they know that Villarreal are really strong.

“There will be moments when we will suffer tomorrow night, definitely I know that now already and that’s what we have to be ready for.

“No need for getting nervous, that’s how it is but we can make them suffer as well and that’s what we have to do all together.”

Klopp has pledged Liverpool will not underestimate Unai Emery’s side.

The Reds welcome the La Liga outfit in the first leg of the last-four clash with Klopp’s side favourites to reach another final.

But Villarreal have proved they are no pushovers by beating Juventus and Bayern Munich to reach this stage of the competition and Klopp has warned that Liverpool will not take them lightly.

“There might have been a slight advantage (for Villarreal) where Juve or Bayern might have underestimated them but that won’t happen with us.

“They want to be part of the final but it’s the same importance for us,’ he said on Tuesday.

“They’re seventh in LaLiga. Atfer they won the quarter-final with Bayern, in between they played Bilbao and Unai changed 11 times. Spain is obviously competitive.

‘It’s a difficult league to be successful in but Unai shows he has a plan for each result 1-0 up, 1-0 down etc.

“We have properly analysed Villarreal. I have proper respect for Unai and them. I watched them properly and wow! Impressive.

“He is a detail-obsessed manager. Different ways to press and react to different results. A world-class coach doing an incredible job.”

Liverpool are bidding to win their seventh European Cup with their last triumph coming in 2019, following a sensational comeback win over Barcelona at the semi-final stage.

The Merseyside giants looked to be heading out when trailing 3-0 to Barca from the first leg but, spurred on by an electric atmosphere at Anfield, they pulled off a remarkable 4-0 win to reach the final.

Klopp has promised to be at the ‘top of his game’ on the touchline on Wednesday night as he called on fans to create a ‘similar atmosphere’ to that memorable night three years ago.

“We need a similar atmosphere and a big performance. I need to be on top of my game, so do the boys, that is fine,” he added.

“If a semi-final in this competition would be easy, something would be really wrong. I can’t wait for it, to be honest.”