Jurgen Klopp has admitted that his side will have to battle through the upcoming clash against Tottenham, despite having some half-fit players.
Unlike Liverpool, who had already qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League, Antonio Conte’s men needed a point in France to seal passage to the next round last night. And fortunately, they went one better and snatched a win in the dying moments to qualify top.
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The Reds will be looking to get their season back on track when they visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, having suffered another major setback on Saturday, with Leeds emerging 2-1 winners from Anfield.
A win for the Lilywhites will see them build a 13-point gap with Liverpool, thus putting the Merseysiders’ hopes of finishing in the top four in major jeopardy.
Speaking before the Napoli game, Klopp remarked that he cannot try to overhaul his starting lineup at this stage of the season and insisted that his side have to try their best to come through the next two fixtures.
The Liverpool boss said in his post-match press conference following his side’s loss to Leeds (BeanymanSports): “The situation is like this, there is no excuse for it or whatever. But we have the problem from the first day with injuries or half-fit players that aren’t injured.
“That’s what we carry with us, at the moment. That’s why some players play too often and other players have to play too early. That’s the situation.
“The next game is already waiting. You might say, Naples, we are already through in the group, it’s a home game, Liverpool against Napoli and we should put in a proper performance, I would say.
“But we need 11 starters, then a few days later, we play away at Tottenham, so that’s our situation. It’s not now for a main overhaul or time for all these kinds of things. No, you have to fight through and you have to fight for momentum, confidence and security.”
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Despite being defeated on Saturday, Liverpool actually played well in parts and created quite a few chances. They have also shown this season that they can raise their game when they play top sides. So, just because their form has been indifferent this season, does not mean that it will be an easy game for Spurs.
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