JURGEN KLOPP LAMENTED Liverpool’s first leg performance as his side crashed out of the Champions League quarter-finals with a goalless draw at home to Real Madrid.
Liverpool were beaten 3-1 at Valdebebas in the first leg eight days ago, paying for a slow start in which they found themselves 2-0 down at half-time. Klopp’s side created a hatful of chances at Anfield tonight, but failed to take any of them and slumped to a 3-1 aggregate defeat.
“We played a much better game than in the first game, obviously. We didn’t lose the tie tonight, we lost it in Madrid. We had the chance to get it back tonight but for that you have to score one goal and it would have been very helpful to it early in the game when we had big, big chances.
“The desire was there, but they adapted to the things we did and all of a sudden they were controlling the game slightly and they hd chances themselves from counter-attacks. This game needed a goal for us. A goal for them and it’s pretty much done, but a goal for us and it would have been really exciting. But we didn’t score and we are out, they are through and congratulations to Real Madrid.”
Klopp was left to rue a second-minute opening for Mohamed Salah, who scuffed a one-on-one chance with Thibault Courtois.
“That’s just what happens to strikers: sometimes it slips through the goalie’s legs and sometimes not. We had a lot of moments where that didn’t happen. We had a lot of games like that this season, where we have been even more dominant than that, Burnley for example, we lose 1-0. These things happen.”
This has been a wretched season for Liverpool, and they are battling to finish in the top four and retain a place in the Champions League next season. They are presently sixth in the league, three points from fourth-placed West Ham.
“We didn’t get a proper run this season. If you want to be really successful, everybody needs that. A run of results that you fly: we never had that. We have had to pick ourselves up again and again and take setbacks and go again, but that is the season we are in. Now we have time to concentrate on the Premier League and that is what we will do.
“We know how tough that is, Monday night and Leeds is waiting. We have to find a way to get something there.
“A lot of things were really good tonight. I respect that people are only interested in the result. For us there is a lot to take from that game of course, but we know we are out and we don’t forget that. It’s disappointing.
“The game tonight was not disappointing, the first game was very disappointing.”
