Jurgen Klopp has pointed to the moment he knew Liverpool needed to do something special to stand any chance of a quadruple.
The Kop boss missed the Reds’ 2-2 draw with Chelsea in January after testing positive for Covid - a result which left them 14 points behind leaders Manchester City. Klopp returned fired up and charged his players with going on a run of ‘finals’ to chase down City, who they had two games in hand on.
The Reds have won 13 league games since with their only blight a 2-2 draw with leaders City, who they now trail by just one point as he turned his attention to a Champions League semi-final with Villarreal on Wednesday night.
Klopp said: “I think the moment was when I came back from my Covid break and the next league game was Brentford, we were 14 points behind, two games in hand, we just decided let’s give it a try because it is easy in these moments, we have big expectations and then we played an okay season until then but not an outstanding season and then there is something is to go for.
“The main thing we have to do is qualify for the Champions League the next year, it is a big thing, we did it two games ago and it slipped through my fingers, that never happened before in my life, usually we really celebrate that. Since then it is each game a final each football game should be like a final but if you have to make it up that much it is maybe not that clear. We will not change unless someone tells us it is not worth fighting any more.”
The Reds can now win a quadruple and become the first English team to ever achieve the feat. They must overhaul City in the league but their destiny is in their own hands in the Champions League as they switch attentions to a two-legged clash with surprise semi-finalist Villarreal before an FA Cup final against Chelsea later this month.
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Klopp said: “We don’t have to talk today about other competitions because our focus is on Villarreal, it is special to be part of the semi-final. It is a massive game. So many coaches out there work their socks off their whole life and have no chance to be close to a semi final so we have to enjoy it.” The Reds boss insists he is not looking past the Spanish side, who are seventh in La Liga, but have already knocked out Bayern Munich and Juventus in this season’s Champions League.
He added: “The way they set it up is really really good. There might have been a little advantage in the last two games, maybe Juve or Bayern underestimated them but that will never happen to us. They are still a really good football team who wants to make history as well, it would be the first time they go to a final, which would be a massive thing to Villarreal but it is to us the same importance.
"It's nice when you play first away, then you have a result you can fight for something in the second half at home with your crowd but who cares, that's now how it is so we really have to be completely on top of our game and everybody in the stadium because our supporters are smart supporters they know and they watch football, they know that Villarreal are really strong. There will be moments when we will suffer tomorrow night, definitely I know that now already and that's what we have to be ready for. No need for getting nervous, that's how it is but we can make them suffer as well and that's what we have to do all together."
