“Union a small team? Come on…”
Jürgen Klopp laughs at the description that Union gives itself. “Union is at the top of the rankings in Belgium. The club is as big as it imagines itself to be.”
No, the Liverpool coach realizes that his players had to do their utmost to beat the opponent. Praise is therefore appropriate for the German.
“I didn’t see a small team on the field, but a very strong team. If we had opened the door just a little more, Union would have stormed through.”
Klopp did not see David versus Goliath in Liverpool-Union, but he did see a confrontation between similar teams.
An old acquaintance has something to do with that. “It has been a very long time since Alexander Blessin crossed my path,” the T1 smiles about his meeting with his Union colleague, who, like him, was born in Stuttgart.
“He’s a city boy and I’m from the countryside, but when it comes to football our ideas are almost identical.”
Both teams increased the pressure. Gegenpressing is the trump card at Anfield. Something that the home team had difficulty with at times.
“Giving away eleven corner kicks is just too much. We defended them well, but we all know it could have ended differently. We could and should do better in general,” said Klopp.
“But look, we handled the intensity well,” he says with relief and a laugh. “I’m happy.”
And his colleague on the sidelines will also receive the compliments with a smile.
