Liverpool took care of business in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal. Now, they aim to do the same in the Premier League title race, as they travel to Newcastle Saturday.
Liverpool sit second in the table, one point behind Manchester City with five games to go. Newcastle are ninth in the table, and are in good form having won four out of their last five.
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Injury News
Roberto Firmino is set to miss his fourth-straight game with a foot issue. Liverpool continue to insist it isn’t a serious injury, but the Brazilian is still not able to train yet.
Kostas Tsimikas missed Wednesday’s Champions League match with illness, but is back in training.
Curtis Jones also missed Wednesday’s match with a minor issue, and didn’t train Thursday as well.
Klopp signs extension
Jurgen Klopp has always been quiet about his contract at Liverpool, even when the club wanted him to extend his stay.
That all changed Thursday, when the German boss signed a two-year extension to stay with the club through 2026.
Klopp said there was an offer from Liverpool on the table, and after discussing it over with his wife Ulla, he realized that they love the life they have created in Merseyside and that the passion was still there.
“It’s for me, at this moment in time, the place to be,” Klopp said.
“This club offers a lot. We never stop trying to develop the situation.”
Quick turnaround
Over the past several seasons, Klopp has been one of the more vocal people in the English game when it comes to schedule creation. That issue has come up again, as Liverpool played late Wednesday night in the Champions League, only to be given the earliest timeslot on Saturday.
Liverpool requested a time change, but it was denied.
The Premier League has never been big on helping their clubs with their European schedules.
It is the opposite of some other major European Leagues.
La Liga didn’t have a full schedule ahead of the European semifinals, giving their teams a break.
The Scottish Premiership was more accommodating for Rangers as well, as they play in the Europa League semifinal, moving April 24’s match back a day to give them an extra day of rest. Klopp spoke about the issue earlier in the month.
“The schedule, and how people use the fame in the moment – Liverpool is hot and everyone wants to see them – they couldn’t care less,” Klopp said.
“It’s just not OK. If we play a Champions League semi-final, find me another league in the world and another broadcaster in the world that would put that team in a 12:30 p.m. … It’s because nobody cares.
“It’s unbelievably difficult.”
Betting Odds
Liverpool are -245 favorites. Newcastle are +700 underdogs. The odds of a draw are +380.