Liverpool officially punched their ticket to the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals tonight, and in doing so have already eclipsed the expectations that most people had for their European campaign. Having already routed FC Porto 5-0 at their place during the way leg, all they had to do tonight was simply show up and go through the motions. Being in such an advantageous position gave Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp a chance to rotate his squad and refresh for the huge Manchester United clash on Saturday.
We all knew weeks ago that Liverpool would advance to the round of eight, but Klopp says now that they’ve reached this stage, it proves they belong. At the same time, the German says his club isn’t satisfied yet with what they have accomplished.
“We are not a little bit satisfied, to be honest, but I think it was time that we showed up again,” Jurgen Klopp said after the goalless draw at Anfield.
“Good development in Liverpool at the moment, it’s a nice moment, but you don’t show up in a competition like the Champions League and nobody really will realize it.
“I’m happy for all the people involved that we made that step. It’s done, it’s good and now let’s go and carry on.”
Liverpool finished fourth last season in the Premier League, and qualified for the tournament by just one point. It was Klopp’s first full season in charge, and it ended with the club 17 points off the pace for the top of the table. Klopp took over for Brendan Rodgers in October of the previous season, a campaign which saw the Reds finish eighth.
This season, the English teams are all succeeding immensely in Europe, and Liverpool are no exception. Klopp says the semi-finals are the goal, and that his team is where he expected they could or would be at this point.
“I don’t want to make it smaller than it is, but on the other side, I don’t want to make it bigger than it is. I think this year we belong there, to be honest. It should not be a surprise,” Klopp continued.
“The next round will be very difficult — I think that’s clear. There are a lot of good teams, seven very good teams involved. Maybe four of them are from England. It doesn’t make it easier, to be honest. I think we will have a chance, for sure, to go to the semis and that’s, of course, the target. But take it step by step, it’s cool.”
“I don’t think it’s early (for his side to have reached this point). This year is the first opportunity we had to do it and now we are in,” Jurgen Klopp concluded.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and the Tribune company’s blogging community Chicago Now.
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