Jurgen Klopp seems to be a bit calmer now that Liverpool has clinched a berth in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.
Drawing Porto for its next tie probably didn’t hurt his new vibe.
[ MORE: Analyzing the UCL draw ]
Reflecting on what worked for Liverpool against Bayern and how it needs to translate to the rest of the tournament, Klopp pointed to defense. That may explain why he opted for a midfield of James Milner, Georginio Wijnaldum, and Jordan Henderson to start the second leg. From the BBC:“The last five Champions League games we lost is because we didn’t defend like we wanted to but at Munich we did and from this basis you can win, it’s the experience from last year we get this and it has helped a lot. ... If there is a final at the end, good - but we think about that at the end, not now.”
As for this weekend’s Premier League match with Fulham, which gives the Cottagers a chance to go atop the table, Klopp expects the Reds to be ready despite its monumental win over Bayern Munich in Germany.
The Reds’ boss has to quickly turn around his men for Saturday’s visit to Fulham, who are desperate for points and playing a bit better under interim boss Scott Parker.
“We’ve been over it and we have to make sure we are spot on from the opening second to win the game.”
