Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and team captain Jordan Henderson met the media today to preview tomorrow night’s first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final versus AS Roma. We have video of both press conferences, along with some of the more meaningful quotes, below.
Klopp made sure to convey that although this is a huge game, it’s not an all or nothing, once-in-a-lifetime kind of situation. “I make the pressure higher? I tell them it’s the only chance you ever have in your life so use it,” Klopp said.
“Would you love to hear that before a game? [It’s] not a once-in-the-lifetime chance. I am already for the second time in the semifinals and if I go, I will be the second time in the final. That’s pretty rare.”
As for Jordan Henderson, he’s pumped up about the chance to shine in the biggest game of his football career.
“This is what you play football for, to play in games like this against top European sides,” Henderson said. “You dream about playing in the Champions League and playing in huge games like this.
“You have to give everything you have got, always have belief that no matter what state the game is in, how well or how poor you might be doing, that you believe you can come through and get through to the final or through to the next leg in the best shape possible.
“As a footballer, moments like this you dream about playing in and when it comes everything before it, every struggle, every test that you have had will put you in good stead for a game like this.”
Injury report, team news, match preview: go to this link
Liverpool starting XI Prediction: go to this link
Odds via Bet Fair: Liverpool to qualify: 2/5 Roma to qualify: 9/5
Prediction: Liverpool 3, AS Roma 2
As always, feel free to post to your own City and/or Liverpool starting XI predictions, as well as your score predictions, in the comments section below.
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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