Speaking ahead of Liverpool’s trip to face Atalanta in the second leg of their UEFA Europa League quarterfinal, Jürgen Klopp dismissed the idea of a Barcelona-esque comeback. The Reds fell to a 3-0 defeat at Anfield last week, and must now record a comprehensive victory in Bergamo if they’re to edge one step closer to the Dublin final.
Klopp explained that while the result looks similar to the now infamous Barcelona comeback of 2018/19, the performance was ‘not really’ the same. ‘We played at that time an exceptional game and lost 3-0 [in Barcelona] and nobody knew how. I think we shouldn’t have lost the last game [against Atalanta] 3-0, but we were not as great as we were then in that game [in Barcelona],’ he suggested on Wednesday.
‘We lost at home [last week] and are now away, that’s a massive difference. It’s really not about comparing or whatever. We are here and will try to win the game tomorrow, that’s all – and I think that’s what we should do.’
Embed from Getty Images‘I remember I said if we fail, then let’s fail in the most beautiful way – and that’s exactly how I see it again. But, I said it already, we want to win the game – and if we want to win the game then we better play good. If we play good we have a chance to win it and then we will see. It is exactly like that.’
With Klopp preparing to depart the club this summer, he stressed that the importance of the UEFA Europa League has not been lost on Liverpool. ‘We are here. I am long enough in this business to know it is two legs, and it is over when it’s over,’ he insisted.
‘As far as I know, we are still allowed to play tomorrow so that is what we will try, that means it has our 100,000% focus. We are only here for one reason – I am pretty sure this is a wonderful region but we did not even look [at it]. We are only here for playing football, that’s what I can say. But I cannot win this game in this press conference today, that’s why I am not really interested in what you are asking and what I am answering as well because the the main part is obviously when I leave this room, finally, it starts. But we are 100% focused.’
