Jurgen Klopp: Liverpool focused on Cardiff before facing Barcelona in Champions League semi-finals
Jurgen Klopp wants Liverpool to focus on their Premier League title challenge before turning their attentions to their Champions League semi-final against Barcelona.
Liverpool eased into the semis with a 6-1 aggregate victory over Porto.
The first leg of their semi-final against Barcelona takes place on April 30, but before that Liverpool face Cardiff on Sunday and then Huddersfield on Friday, April 26, with both games live on Sky Sports.
They are currently two points ahead of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table, having played a game more, and Klopp said: „We are in the semi-finals and on Sunday we play Cardiff, that is in my mind and will be in my mind 100 per cent when I wake up tomorrow, not how we play against Barcelona.
„We have time for that. I am looking forward to it and it’s brilliant, but not tonight.
„We have to get ourselves ready for another intense football game. Cardiff are back in the race after the result yesterday (a 2-0 win over Brighton) so they will fight for it and I don’t think it will be less intense than tonight. That’s the next job to do.
„The fact there is a proper game between Liverpool and Barcelona is really good news. I am really proud of the boys, it is brilliant what they did. I am really happy.“
Having won the first leg 2-0 against Porto, Liverpool were on the back foot in the early stages at the Estadio do Dragao.
However, they withstood the spell of pressure and ran out comfortable winners, with Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Virgil van Dijk scoring in a 4-1 victory.
Klopp said: „We had to defend a lot in the last third in the first half an hour, that’s OK, not a problem. The boys did that, the big difference with the past is that it doesn’t cost us confidence and if we have do it we can. It’s just we are under pressure, no problem. You have to defend and after that we get chances and we scored them.
„I don’t think the result reflects the two games. The first game we were clearly the better side and dominated the game and played really good football and made life difficult for Porto. Tonight it was the other way around.
„They were really direct and when the crowd is like this behind the team…it was a very good football atmosphere and they used it and it was very difficult to deal with.
„Porto needed an early goal tonight and they didn’t score it and then intensity levels drop a little and we are still there. It’s not that we forget how to play football. We have our strength even in a difficult game and so I am completely happy. It’s important to go through.“
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