During the weekend, Jürgen Klopp sat down by himself and switched on his TV.
Finally, he was ready to watch the Champions League championship game between Real Madrid and the previous year. The Liverpool manager had previously been unable to handle the disappointment of the loss.
But he couldn’t put off doing his homework any longer since the rematch would be against the current European champions.
Liverpool fell short in Paris in May by a solitary goal. They missed so many opportunities before and after Vinicius’ match-winner at the Stade de France. For Klopp, it wasn’t a pleasant experience to watch.
“We played this final in Paris, and I haven’t watched it back since then. But I had to this weekend,” added Klopp. “I now understand why I haven’t seen it back.
We performed well and had a chance to win the game, and that is the deciding phrase. We might have won, but we didn’t because they scored and we didn’t, and that is the deciding factor.
Even if Klopp didn’t like watching over the weekend, he did pick up a lot of knowledge in preparation for tonight’s first leg at Anfield in the round of 16.
“We witnessed how experienced Madrid is and how little they are worried by the fact that the opposing team gets chances,” added Klopp.
They maintain their confidence throughout the game because they believe “Our opportunity will come,” and they defend with strength. You can definitely learn that from them.
Yet, there is one lesson to be taken from it: Klopp must now convince his team to use the lessons they learned from the setback.
The team led by Carlo Ancelotti travels to Anfield as the defending champions hoping to capture their 15th European Cup. Toni Kroos and Aurelien Tchouameni, two of their top midfielders, won’t be available for the first leg. At the same time, Casemiro has joined Manchester United since their victory over Liverpool in the Champions League final.
Nonetheless, Eduardo Camavinga has the talent to play with Luka Modric and Federico Valverde.
Our opportunities could have caused someone to think, “Oh my gosh, we have to alter this gap,” said Klopp. “Usually, I don’t believe you can make this team panic,” he said.
“It was a final, we didn’t take enough chances in little moments, and we were well-protected due to the possibility of a counterattack, so analysis is usually quite simple, particularly when I look back on it now, a year later.
“With a little more energy, we may have won, but Real Madrid has Modric, Kroos, Casemiro, and [Karim] Benzema, all of whom are unquestionably world-class players. Even though they have a well-oiled squad with Tchouameni and Camavinga, it is still feasible.
Some of their players won the championship five times and likely believe they control the competition, and they are probably correct. They played [Manchester] City and PSG in the previous rounds, and both games were like game over.
Liverpool has gained fresh confidence heading into tonight’s match after defeating Everton and Newcastle back-to-back in the Premier League. But, this will serve as their last test to see if they have recovered their best.
We still need to demonstrate that point, according to Klopp. It’s a different competition, so we’ll take it. We were previously in a similar scenario, not performance-wise but results-wise, straight after the World Cup break with the two victories and it seemed like now we are there but it looks different.
“We sense it, we see it, and it really improves the mood. We must go on from here, and I anticipate that we will fight valiantly.
»Jurgen Klopp could not rewatch Champions League final for eight months«
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