Have to face City at one point but Liverpool have other massive games too, asserts Jurgen Klopp
Jurgen Klopp has admitted that it was always likely that his side would have to go toe to toe against Manchester City at one point but insisted that the club have other fixtures to focus on too at the tail end of the season. Liverpool faces Manchester City twice in the span of a week in April.
Liverpool underwent an away trip to the City Ground to face Nottingham Forest in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup on Sunday but the Championship side were arguably the better side with only Roberto Firmino's chipped effort causing trouble for the home side. Philip Zinckernagel had the best chance of the game in the closing quarter of the game but he missed his target from eight yards.
However, Diogo Jota made sure to convert on the opposition's inability to score by latching on to a Kostas Tsimikas cross and slotting the ball home for the winner in the 78th minute. The Reds' victory sets them up for a high-stakes doubleheader semi-final game at Wembley against title rivals Manchester City in April, the weekend after they play the English champions in the league. Klopp insisted that his side has to focus across multiple fronts in their hunt for silverware during the tail end of the season and warned against fixating on City.
"We have Watford, Benfica, City, Benfica, City, United, Everton (after the international break). From a Liverpool perspective, these are all massive games and we try to play them one at a time and not all together. We knew before the game City would be the opponent if we wanted to go to the final anyway,” Klopp told Sky Sports after the game.
“Now here we go. The further you go in whichever competition the more likely you are you will face City at one point. I don't think we are the dream draw for anyone, but it will be a tough tie and we have to make sure it will be tough for City as well. But there are a lot of games to play before that,” he added.