London (dpa)
Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp hopes to repeat the scenario of his team's comeback against Barcelona, when it visits Atalanta in Bergamo, today, Thursday.
Liverpool lost the first leg at home 0-3, and wants to make up for it by qualifying for the semi-finals, a scenario that brings back echoes of the famous comeback against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals in May 2019, which paved Liverpool's way to win the title for the sixth time. Klopp said in statements highlighted by the British news agency (PA Media): “I usually do not prepare special lectures the day before the match or four years before.”
The German coach added: “I remember saying to the players that if we fail, we want to fail in the best way, and I am still convinced of the same principle.”
The Liverpool coach continued: “We want to win the match, and we have to play well. If we perform well, we will have a chance to win, and then we will see what happens.”
Qualifying at Barcelona's expense was the only time Liverpool succeeded in overturning their deficit, after falling behind by three goals in the first leg, but the English team did not succeed in coming back, after losing the first leg at its Anfield stadium in four previous European matches.
Liverpool previously beat Atalanta 5-0 in Italy in the Champions League group stage, but without an audience amid the restrictions imposed to confront the Corona pandemic, noting that the English team lost 0-2 at home.
Klopp concluded his statements: “The match will be more difficult, because the Italian team is not required to score goals, and we will see who handles the match better. If Atalanta qualifies, it will be a deserved promotion, and if the opposite happens, it will certainly be in a special scenario.”
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