No Mental Scars for 'Virgin' Liverpool in the UCL, Says Jurgen Klopp

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is confident his side will show no signs of trauma in the UEFA Champions League after their defeat in the final last season and said the team will approach the competition "like a virgin." 

The Reds lost 3-1 to Real Madrid in May. After losing star forward Mohamed Salah to injury in the first half, goalkeeper Loris Karius gifted two goals to Los Blancos in the second.

However, Klopp believes his side have moved on from that disappointment, per Goal:

"No damage. No, absolutely not. I think we got a lot of respect because of the way we played last season and I think everyone who saw the final saw that we could have won it against a side in a completely different moment.

"They see the games we played. They saw Manchester City, they saw Rome, they saw Porto. They saw so many games which we played in a really good way. There was a lot of respect."

The Reds play Paris Saint-Germain in their opening group game on Tuesday, and the German is hoping last season's experience will help the team:

"It is a nice experience, it is a nice memory, but pretty sure it will help us in the moment, all that stuff, but at the end we have to start new—using the experience but not relying on it.

"The best way is when you are experienced you use your new knowledge and start again—like a virgin if you want."

Klopp highlighted the likes of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Edinson Cavani and Angel Di Maria as the key threats, and he added: "We have to respect them without getting afraid of them."

The Reds have been handed a tricky group this year and will also have to contend with Napoli and Red Star Belgrade in their bid to reach the knockout phase.

On Saturday, Liverpool came through their first big test of the season by beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 at Wembley Stadium to maintain their perfect start in the Premier League with five wins from five.

They lost 4-1 in the corresponding fixture last year, and football writer Joel Rabinowitz believes the victory shows how far they've come:

Liverpool's biggest strength under Klopp is their attacking prowess, but they've also improved in midfield and defensively thanks to the recruitment of players such as Naby Keita, Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker.

PSG will be an enormous test at Anfield, but football writer Robin Bairner has tipped the hosts to win:

A victory to kick off their Champions League campaign would give their chances of reaching the knockout phase a significant boost, particularly in what will be one of their most difficult group games.

Despite both teams winning all of their matches this season, neither has reached their peak yet.

It's likely to be a close game on Tuesday, but Liverpool may have a slight edge if Klopp's assessment of his team's mental state is correct.