Thursday, 18 February 2016

Jurgen Klopp: Liverpool can go all the way in the Europa League



JURGEN KLOPP believes Liverpool can go all the way in the Europa League and land a spot in Europe’s top competition next season.


Jurgen Klopp
  CONFIDENT: Klopp thinks that Liverpool could go all the way in the Europa League
The Kop boss is preparing his side for their last-32 first-leg clash with Augsburg in Germany tonight.
And he reckons winning the competition might be his side's best way back to the Champions League, with Liverpool nine points off the top four in the Premier League.
Emre Can
   IN FORM: Liverpool head into the game on a high after their 6-0 demolition of Aston Villa
“There are a few teams when the competition starts that think they can win it and I think we are one of these teams,” said Klopp, eyeing the Champions League spot which awaits this season’s Europa League winners.
“We are not one of the clubs that says, ‘We have no chance’. If you look at the Europa League now, it is like a mini Champions League. There are some high quality teams.
“Sometimes you look for the shortest way to achieve your goals. The Europa League for sure is not the shortest way to reach the Champions League.
“It’s a really hard way and not the normal road. It’s interesting.
“We are in the last 32. We can see the line. But I cannot say now, ‘This is our only chance of being in the Champions League’.
“It’s a chance. How many points in the league are we away from the Champions League? I think it is nine.
“So, yeah, at this moment I would say we have a better chance this way at the moment.
“Maybe the top four clubs will have a crisis. But we have to solve our own problems.”
Klopp returns to Germany for the first time since joining Liverpool in October.
And the former Borussia Dortmund boss has named a strong squad for tonight’s tie, including fit again striker Daniel Sturridge, with no FA Cup commitments for Liverpool this weekend.
The second leg at Anfield next Thursday is just 72-hours before the Capital One Cup final with Manchester City.
If the Reds can open up a big advantage they may be able to rest key players next week, but Klopp is not concerned about the schedule.
He added: “Listen, we play Sunday and we play Thursday. That’s a good gap, enough time to recover, no problem. It’s nothing.
“We then play Thursday, Thursday, so no problems again.
“We then have a final (on the Sunday). Before a final you don’t have to think about anything because you don’t need to be recovered. You could play the final on Friday!”
Augsburg (4-1-4-1): Hitz; Verhaegh, Hong, Klavan, Stafylidis; Kohr; Esswein, Koo, Moravek, Caiuby; Bobadilla.
Liverpool (4-3-3): Mignolet; Clyne, Caulker, Sakho, Moreno; Milner, Lucas, Can; Firmino, Sturridge, Coutinho.ring you predicted line-ups for Liverpool ahead of their visit to Augsburg in the Europa League.
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Referee: David Borbalan (Spain)
Kick-off: 8.05pm BT Sport Europe
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