Jurgen Klopp urged his Liverpool players not to succumb to the hype generated by their own scintillating performances after they crushed Spartak Moscow to reach the Champions League knockout rounds in emphatic fashion.
Liverpool’s ‘Fab Four’ shone in a 7-0 trouncing of Spartak Moscow on Wednesday, with Philippe Coutinho scoring a hat-trick, Sadio Mane claiming a double and Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah also finding the net.
But having seen his team crash 4-1 at Tottenham Hotspur after thrashing Maribor 7-0 earlier in the group phase, Klopp urged his side not to ease up ahead of Sunday’s derby clash with Everton.
“We showed tonight that we learned from the mistake we made in Seville,” Klopp said, referring to Liverpool’s 3-3 draw against Sevilla on its previous Group E outing, when it squandered a 3-0 lead.
“Now we have to show that we learned from the mistake we made after Maribor when we faced Tottenham.
“We will be ready again on Sunday and if the crowd is ready to help us, it would be nice again.”
A brace from Coutinho, the first a penalty, and an opportunistic Firmino strike put Liverpool ahead 3-0 inside 18 minutes and the Reds turned the screw after halftime.
Mane and Coutinho struck in quick succession, the latter completing his first Liverpool treble, before goals from Mane and Salah took the Reds’ tally to 32 in nine matches.
Klopp could not contain his joy at his team’s rampant performance, but there was an accompanying note of caution. “We should not think it will be like this from now on until the end of our entire lives,” said the German.
As group winner, Liverpool should theoretically receive a kinder draw in the last 16, but with Bayern Munich, Juventus and Real Madrid among its potential opponents, Klopp does not expect any favors. “I think it’s really strange this year in the group phase,” he said after Liverpool ended a nine-year wait to reach the knockout phase.
“In the last 16 of the Champions League, they are always strong sides, but this year it’s quite special.”
Agence France – presse
