Jurgen Klopp insists Liverpool won't underestimate Champions League opponents
Thursday 24 August 2017 19:16, UK
Jurgen Klopp insists Liverpool won't be underestimating their Champions League opponents after being handed a favourable draw in the group stage of the competition.
Liverpool will face Spartak Moscow, Sevilla and Maribor in Group E - avoiding European heavyweights Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich - after comfortably defeating Hoffenheim in the qualifying play-off stage.
Liverpool boss Klopp is confident of progressing from the group but the German expects each opponent to provide a stern test as the Reds chase their sixth European title.
"The draw was exciting - to be part of it is obviously really special," said Klopp. "We watched with a few of the lads together.
"There are groups with Barcelona, Bayern, Juventus and Real Madrid, and not to get them is of course more good than bad. But I don't think that after this long way we should think about the opponents. We have to go and prepare.
"With Sevilla, there is an open bill, I would say. But we all know how good they are in European competition. Moscow is a long trip. And Maribor, in this moment you don't know a lot about them; a lot of people would underestimate them, we will not.
"So we don't think about the opponent, we just think about the competition. We'll analyse and take everything seriously - we want to go as far as possible.
"But it's the Champions League, so that means they all earn our 100 per cent respect, how we earn 100 per cent respect from them. That's what we will show and hopefully we have a few really good games, which we 100 per cent need."
Klopp believes clubs around Europe will have been happy to avoid Liverpool after seeing them defeat Hoffenheim 4-2 at Anfield on Wednesday night.
When asked if teams will fear Liverpool this season, Klopp said: "In this moment, for sure. But it depends on our performance. We had a nice sign last night - the first 20 minutes were probably part of the best pieces of football I was ever part of.
"That was really impressive. But we have to replicate this - we have to do it again and again and again. Then we can be successful. That's good news but hard work also."
