Champions League: We have to learn from experience, says Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp
Seville: Liverpool have overcome the instability that contributed to their inconsistent start to the season, manager Juergen Klopp said ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League clash at Sevilla.
A victory in Spain will guarantee Group E leaders Liverpool passage into the knockout stage and Klopp’s side head into the game high on confidence after three successive victories in the Premier League.
”It’s getting really exciting and decisive -- and that’s really cool,“ Klopp said. ”We’ve had 12 (league) games this season, that’s not even a third of the season, so we have to learn from our experiences and build on our performances.
“That’s what we did in the last few weeks and now what we have to do in the next few weeks... to get points you need to play stable football and that’s what we were lacking. Now it looks much more stable and that was really important for us.”
Liverpool’s blistering form in front of goal has stemmed from the understanding between Philippe Coutinho, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah with the attacking foursome limiting striker Daniel Sturridge’s game time.
However, Klopp said the England international will have a part to play as the season wears on and he was not thinking of selling him in the January transfer window.
”I can imagine a player with his quality is not happy that he is not starting all the time,“ Klopp added. ”The situation with the player is completely okay. We are in November and need all our players -- even if he feels a little different.
“There is around one-and-a-half months before the window opens and I don’t think about things like this. There are so many games before then and I need all of them (players).”
Klopp will be without defender Joel Matip on Tuesday and hopes he will recover from a thigh strain in time for the visit of Chelsea on Saturday.
Liverpool, who were held to a 2-2 draw by the Spanish side in their opening clash in Europe in September and followed that up with a 1-1 draw at Spartak Moscow, thrashed Maribor 7-0 and 3-0 in their next two games to top Group E.
