Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp hails ‘outstanding’ Reds after winning ‘semi-final’ at Burnley
Liverpool Jurgen Klopp was full of praise for his players after they won their ‘semi-final’ against Burnley as they confidently strolled to a 3-0 victory at Turf Moor.
The Reds now hold their top four destiny in their own hands after leapfrogging Leicester City into fourth place – with Roberto Firmino, Nat Phillips and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all on target in an impressive display.
Now the German boss wants his players to go one further and win the ‘final’ against Crystal Palace in their last match of the season on Sunday – doing so would guarantee their path into next season’s Champions League.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp hailed his players for winning their ‘semi-final’ against Burnley
The Reds put in a confident display to earn a 3-0 victory at Turf Moor to boost top four hopes
They are level on points with the Foxes – who welcome Tottenham in their final game – and Klopp was left relieved after his players turned out a ‘top performance’ to secure a crucial result in their European conquest.
‘It was a semi-final and we won it, clean sheet,’ he told Sky Sports. ‘Nothing has been decided but we have an improved position. We deserved it – it was a top performance. We [couldn’t give] a chance away because of their physicality.
‘They wanted to go for our centre backs, but they did outstandingly well. Bobby [Firmino] scored, we had two big chances before that. Oxlade-Chamberlain showed nice skills, it was a good reminder for him [about] how good he is.’
The German boss said they had performed ‘outstandingly well’ to secure a crucial result
Liverpool now go above Liverpool into fourth with their top four destiny in their own hands
One advantage Liverpool will have going into their last game against Palace is the return of their fans, with 10,000 of their world-famous support set to flock to Anfield just in time for the season’s end.
Klopp said having the noise of the crowd would boost the team, but insisted the players would have to ‘recover quickly’ against a ‘strong’ Palace side, adding that it would act as a ‘final’ for the season.
‘Our problem is not Sunday but to make sure we recover quickly. We have to wrap them in cotton wool for Sunday,’ he added.
There was a point in the season where a top four finish looked increasingly unlikely for the side
‘We now have 10,000 [fans] at Anfield. I can’t wait for that, but nothing is decided. Palace are strong – you have to be at the top of your game, and rightly so, let’s give it a try.’
‘We have another final again,’ he later told the BBC.
‘After a long, long time we didn’t really know where we would end. Now we are in a European league and we need to secure the Champions League on the last day. There are really important football games on the last day.’
It has been a topsy-turvy season for the Reds, who surrendered the title they romped to last year and at one point a top four spot looked nigh-on impossible.
They face Crystal Palace on the final day and Klopp has urged them to go and win the ‘final’
Liverpool have struggled with an injury nightmare in defence – with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip ruled out for a majority of the season.
But the team picked themselves up and a late flurry towards the end of the campaign has steadily pushed the team up the table – while the likes of Tottenham and Leicester have faltered.
Brendan Rodgers’ side lost 2-1 at Chelsea this week in a come-down after beating the Blues in the FA Cup final, but his players face a huge task to overcome Liverpool or Chelsea in the race to claim a top four spot.
