Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has suggested that he is not so confident to think that his side have a win in the bag against Atletico Madrid tonight.
Tonight, Liverpool head to Madrid to take on Atletico, with Klopp seemingly not getting carried away.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Klopp admitted he is wary of the ‘animal’ Atletico Madrid can be under Diego Simeone.
Liverpool are unbeaten this season but Klopp stated that he is ‘not that positive or naive’ to think that the Reds have three points in the bag tonight.
Klopp added that Atletico is a tough place to go, but feels Liverpool learned a lot from games against Atletico in 2020.
“They are still the result machine they were before,” Klopp said.
“I am a very positive person, but I am not that positive or naive that I think we have these games already in our pocket.”
“They have changed players and system so we face a different animal, but not a weaker one,” he added.
Liverpool can show real progress tonight as Klopp seeks revenge
Fans will remember the last Liverpool v Atletico Madrid meetings. Before the pandemic fully took hold of the country, before Liverpool were Premier League champions.
Liverpool lost 1-0 in Madrid before falling to a 3-2 home defeat in the second leg.
Liverpool had bags of possession but did nothing with it away from home. With no shots on target, Liverpool barely laid a glove on Atletico.
They improved at Anfield. They again had lots of possession, this time having 34 shots, 11 on target.
Liverpool sent cross after cross into the Atletico box, playing into their hands. Atletico frustrated them and hit them with repeated sucker punches, despite tallying less than half of Liverpool’s total passes.
That second leg was an improvement, and Klopp needs another step forward tonight.
With a win in the Spanish capital tonight, Liverpool can show they have really made progress since that Champions League exit.
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