The Reds take on Burton Albion tonight in the EFL Cup second round.
Cup competitions are more important to Klopp this season
Cup competitions will be of more importance to Liverpool this season in the absence of European football, that’s according to Jurgen Klopp who was quoted by Sky Sports.
Liverpool missed out on European competition last term by virtue of their 8th place finish, two points behind Europa League qualifiers West Ham in 7th.
The Reds could have qualified for the Group Stages of the Champions League had they managed to overcome Sevilla in the Europa League final in May, but in the end they fell to the competition’s experts – with the Spanish side now having won the tournament for the last three years consecutively.
Liverpool missed out on European qualification
But no European football does not dampen Liverpool’s ambitions for Klopp, who says cup competitions are now more important.
“It is not about not being in Europe, so one cup is important,” Klopp said. “This is important. How can we be more than 100 per cent ambitious?
“I know we have never shown a lack of respect to any competition and, in this moment, I am really optimistic we will find a really good line-up and then we have to perform.
“But there is always this kind of pressure, whether we are in Europe or not.”
Liverpool face Burton Albion tonight
Liverpool face a Burton side who are still adapting to life in the Championship under Nigel Clough, after a stunning set of promotions inside the last decade, with the club joining the football league for the first time after promotion as recently as 2009.
The Midlands club have four points to show from their opening four games, including a shock win against Sheffield Wednesday, who missed out on promotion last season in the playoff final.
Burton Albion manager Nigel Clough
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