Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp confirms he “always thought this group would come down to the final round” ahead of the crucial Napoli tie.
The Reds need to win tonight to have any chance of qualifying for the Last 16, while Carlo Ancelotti’s men will progress as long as they don’t lose, or if they score an away goal and lose by only one.
“I always thought this group would come down to the final round of matches before we knew where our destiny would lie,” Klopp wrote in the match programme.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp confirms he “always thought this group would come down to the final round” ahead of the crucial Napoli tie.
The Reds need to win tonight to have any chance of qualifying for the Last 16, while Carlo Ancelotti’s men will progress as long as they don’t lose, or if they score an away goal and lose by only one.
“I always thought this group would come down to the final round of matches before we knew where our destiny would lie,” Klopp wrote in the match programme.
“So there is no sense of shock or surprise we face this challenge tonight.
“It has rightly been described as probably the toughest and most competitive group in the competition this season. PSG, Napoli and Red Star are outstandingly good teams and we are not too bad ourselves.
“Of course, I will not hide away from the fact that we face the situation we do because our performances and results away from home in the Champions League have not been to the high standards we hold ourselves to.
“If we earn the right to progress clearly it is something we will look to address. But we should also not ignore the fact that our future in the competition remains in our own hands, because we have been really good at Anfield.
“We all know what we have to do to qualify for the knockout stages. We won’t be looking to Belgrade for help or assistance as it’s completely irrelevant to us.
“We have a job to do – a game to win – and if we give our best I think we have a real opportunity. It’s about this game.
“Napoli were already going to be a tough opponent because they have such outstanding players, but when you add the brains and leadership of Carlo it makes them a real contender to go the distance in the competition I think.
“But as much as we respect Napoli, I think tonight is about us and our potential, so that is where our focus will be entirely.
“We know we have the quality, we know we have the mentality and we know we have the belief to do what is required.
“We are so blessed at Liverpool to have a dressing room of players who embrace moments like these.
“They will relish being part of this occasion. They want to create their own memories and history – their own stories. They will look to make the night one of joy for our fans.
“Our boys know they have to be smart as well as passionate. They know they’ll need to be courageous, but also responsible. We don’t need to win this tie in the first five minutes, so patience will be critical also.”