Jurgen Klopp Says Liverpool Can Advance After Loss to Villarreal

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp thought his team got unlucky in the 1-0 UEFA Europa League semi-final loss against Villarreal on Thursday, telling reporters he thought his side would have it harder at El Madrigal and warning the Yellow Submarine things won’t be as easy at Anfield.  

A single goal from Adrian Lopez in extra time separated the two clubs, who played out a relatively close first leg. Per BBC Sport’s Juliette Ferrington, Klopp said the battle between the two is far from over:

Villarreal have been in excellent form in Europe of late, scoring goals in bunches, but they never looked as dangerous as they can against the Reds. Liverpool shut their attack down for the bulk of the match. But things opened up in the final minutes, and a single counter-attack was enough for the hosts to grab the win.

Per ESPN FC’s Ben Dinnery, Klopp seemed to blame full-back Alberto Moreno for the goal:

Per This is Anfield, defender Kolo Toure is convinced his side have what it takes to advance to the final, reminding reporters of the incredible comeback Liverpool staged against Borussia Dortmund in the previous round:

Klopp tried not to talk about the contest with Dortmund too much, however, per ESPN FC’s Dermot Corrigan:

The Telegraph’s Chris Bascombe thought Klopp looked a little angry during his post-match press conference:

Plenty of fans wondered about Klopp’s tactics after the match—specifically the absence of Daniel Sturridge, who spent the entire contest on the bench—and the decision to play cautious, controlled football instead of attacking Villarreal head-on.

Klopp explained he can’t ask his players to run "like rabbits" every match, and he opted for a patient approach at the Madrigal, a place where the likes of Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Napoli and Sevilla all lost this season:

The 1-0 win puts Villarreal in the driver’s seat heading into the second leg, which will be at Anfield next Thursday. Their advantage is minimal at best, however, and Liverpool are capable of playing much better than they did in Spain.

The Reds have already shown their resilience at home in the win over Dortmund, and on paper, the challenge against Villarreal looks less daunting. The Yellow Submarine will like their chances of advancing, however, and a single away goal next week would put Liverpool in a world of trouble.

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