Jurgen Klopp insists Liverpool ‘respect’ Inter, who ‘perfectly replaced’ stars like Achraf Hakimi and Romelu Lukaku, and reveals when he knew he had to sign Diogo Jota.
The first leg of this Champions League Round of 16 tie kicks off at San Siro at 20.00 GMT.
You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the LIVEBLOG.
“I am excited for this game,” Klopp told Amazon Prime Italia correspondent Gianfranco Zola.
“We respect Inter very much, they are playing a great season despite making several changes over the summer. They had a great transfer market, perfectly replacing players like Lukaku and Hakimi.
“Inter have excellent players, especially upfront. They keep good possession and so we could have an opportunity with the pressing, which is something we like to do. We are ready for this challenge.”
This is not the same side that won the Scudetto last season, as Simone Inzaghi replaced Antonio Conte on the bench, while Hakimi was sold to PSG and Lukaku moved back to Chelsea.
Nonetheless, their results have been better than last term, both in Serie A and the Champions League.
Zola asked about Diogo Jota, who starts upfront this evening with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané.
“I saw Diogo the first time playing for Wolves, I knew at that moment I would like to work together with him. We might play different styles, he has more imagination, but the other players can benefit from that.
“I didn’t know about his character at the time, but he is an intelligent and outstanding boy.”
Klopp: “Presseremo l’Inter durante il suo possesso per recuperare palla e ripartire…” https://t.co/SnnoDdFI7t
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