Liverpool faces Villarreal in the semi-finals of the Champions League on Wednesday at Anfield.
Liverpool is the favorite to progress to the finals of the Champions league over Villarreal.
Despite the favorite tag, Jurgen Klopp has warned that Liverpool needs to put up a solid performance to beat Villarreal at Anfield on Wednesday and insisted that he will not fall into the same trap as Juventus and Bayern Munich by underestimating the Europa League Champions
Liverpool is currently chasing a quadruple and the six times Champions league winners are seeking to make their third finals in five years.
The Europa League winners will be playing their second champions league semi-finals (2016,2022) in the club history. however, they have to beat two Champions League powerhouses Bayern Munich and Juventus to reach this feet.
What did Klopp say?
“They are made for this competition to be 100% honest.
“The way they set up is really good. There might have been a little advantage where Juventus and Bayern may have underestimated them.
“This little advantage may have gone but they are a really good football team.
“We want to go there with all we have and that’s what we want to show tomorrow night.
Klopp added that Liverpool needs to be on top of their game and everyone including the Fans must be ready for the Wednesday show down.
He said: “We need the atmosphere, we need the performance.”
“We need to be on top of our game. I need to be on top of my game. That is completely fine, it is the semi-final of the Champions League. [We have played Manchester] City, United, Everton. If you need the next game to be 1000 percent in, it is Villarreal in the Champions League.
“We know whatever result we get, it will be an incredibly emotional atmosphere [in Spain in the second leg] and that is what we have to create as well. We have to make sure we are really on top of our game, everybody in the stadium.”
Jurgen Klopp reveals Liverpool had treated every match as final since January.
Speaking at the post-match press conference , Klopp said his side had treated every match as a final since their 2-2 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in January.
He said: “When I came back from my Covid game after Chelsea (is when every game started being treated like a final) – I think it was Brentford.
“We were 14 points behind at that moment, two games in hand and that’s when we decided let’s give it a try.
“We had big expectations at the beginning of the season than during the season, we played OK until then but not outstanding.
“There was still something to go for. The main thing we need to do is qualify for the Champions League. We did that two games ago and it slipped through my fingers, which has never happened before. I had to get reminded and that’s big.
“Chelsea were in front of us but since then, every game has been a final.
“Since then, we have behaved like that and it will not change until it’s not worth fighting anymore.
“We had no other chance. We’re here because of the results we had and we do not need to talk today about other competitions because our focus is on Villarreal in the semi-final.
“It’s special, it’s crazy, and a massive game. Coaches and players work their socks off their whole life and have no chance to be close to a semi-final so we have to cherish it. We have to appreciate it, of course, and enjoy it as well.”
