Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits it is an 'all or nothing' Champions League night against Spartak Moscow
'You only play the group stage as Liverpool to come through to the last 16,' according to Klopp
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Your support makes all the difference.Jürgen Klopp admits that his Liverpool side face an ‘all or nothing’ night as they seek to reach the Champions League knock-out stages for the first time in nine years.
Liverpool sit top of Group E ahead of their final game against Spartak Moscow on Wednesday, yet still need to avoid defeat against their Russian visitors in order to progress.
Klopp’s side had the chance to sew up qualification at Sevilla two weeks ago, but contrived to surrender a 3-0 lead and draw 3-3.
Guido Pizarro’s stoppage-time equaliser that night means that Spartak, who currently sit third, can match Liverpool’s nine points with a win tomorrow.
Victory would be enough for Spartak to finish above their hosts thanks to their superior head-to-head record, with the two sides drawing 1-1 in Moscow in September. And in that scenario, if Sevilla also record a win away to group whipping boys NK Maribor, Liverpool would be eliminated with defeat at Anfield.
Klopp knows that although his side sit in pole position, there is little room for error in a tight group and wants to see his players finally finish the job.
“A proper 'final'. All or nothing," he said of Wednesday's game. "We know about the situation. They know about the situation. It is Champions League. It is always important but the last game of the group stage is most important if you have to play for something, which we obviously have.
“You only play the group stage as Liverpool to come through to the last 16. We all know if we do then we have a chance to reach the next round, but first we have to make it.
“It is a tight group. We had some influence on that. We played good games and had good results but not enough points to go through already. Now we have to finish the job.”
Though Liverpool will at best limp over the line into their first knock-out phase since the 2008-09 season, they at least enter Wednesday night in good form.
Klopp has seen his players go eight matches unbeaten in all competitions and enjoyed Saturday's emphatic 5-1 victory at Brighton and Hove Albion.
A repeat performance against Spartak would not go amiss, but Klopp is focusing solely on the challenges ahead rather than the ones that have passed.
“Form is always the last game. We have to show up again and do all that stuff again,” the Liverpool manager said.
“There is pressure. We can not ignore it, we are going for something big. We had it against Middlesbrough [to secure a top-four place on the final day of last season] and Hoffenheim [in the play-off round]. We did it quite well so far and have to do it again.”
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