Liverpool must be ugly against PSG, says Jurgen Klopp
Wednesday 28 November 2018 14:46, UK
Jurgen Klopp has called on Liverpool to be ugly to play against when they take on Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
The visitors will qualify for the knockout phase of Europe's premier club competition if they win at the Parc des Princes and Red Star Belgrade also fail to beat Napoli in Naples.
PSG, who have won all 14 of their Ligue 1 matches so far this season, were boosted by the news that key forwards Neymar and Kylian Mbappe are both fit to start in the French capital.
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The Liverpool manager, however, wants his players to enjoy the occasion.
"How do we want to play? Brave," said the German. "Against Paris it makes sense in all different departments that we really try to enjoy the game - a very difficult game.
"In a game like this, you need to be at your best in pretty much all departments, but especially in your frustration tolerance. So you are really not annoyed by yourself or lose confidence in a situation when they pass you with the ball, with a run or whatever.
"That's always a big challenge, but so far we always enjoyed these games, like we enjoyed against [Manchester] City and like we enjoyed the last game against PSG. It is always difficult; it is not that you play PSG, win 3-2 and you think 'We got it, that's how you beat them.'
"It stays unbelievably difficult, but I think - and it's important - that Paris know as well we are not easy to play.
"That is what I have in my mind as well. We have to be at our best, 100 per cent, and if we are then we are really not nice to play. It's not a big joy to play against us. That's what we have to try to be again - a really ugly-to-play football team."
Klopp was also keen to stress the importance of Liverpool playing the game on their terms against the Ligue 1 champions.
"The more difficult it is, the more I enjoy the preparation because you have to think about pretty much everything," Klopp said.
"You have to think about how to defend this and that, how to avoid this and that and how to play football yourself.
"That is the most important thing and probably the thing Paris is not used to that much in the league because they are so dominant.
"We have to make sure that they are not that dominant against us, that we have possession and we do something smart with that.
"You have to be brave by yourself and that's what we did in the first game. We were so attack-minded even in our defending, constantly front-footed.
"I am completely happy with our individual quality and I believe 100 per cent in the group but that is the same with Thomas Tuchel and his players."
Klopp confirmed that Adam Lallana is soon to return to the training ground but striker Dominic Solanki is nursing an injury.
He said: "Adam is back in training on Thursday. Dominic has a little groin injury."
