Jurgen Klopp shares his ecstasy after downing Benfica to reach UCL semi-final with Liverpool
In conversation with Liverpoolfc.com, Jurgen Klopp spoke gleefully after a thrilling Liverpool vs Benfica UEFA Champions League encounter as they qualify for the semi-finals of the competition. The Reds will now take on Villarreal CF who have been the dark horses of the UCL this campaign.
The Merseysiders endured a torrid time last season due to grave injury issues. This time around, the Anfield outfit seems to be headed on the right track. They have already bagged the EFL trophy in February this year and with a little bit of hope plus unwavering consistency, Liverpool are on the cusp of a potential Quadruple.
The Reds have largely been exceptional in European competitions under the former Borussia Dortmund manager. That being said, they have very little time to rest on their laurels as they take on Manchester City in the semi-final of the FA Cup coming Saturday.
Speaking to Liverpoolfc.com, Klopp hinted that there was room for improvement in their last performance but did not hide his joy of qualifying for the semis of the Champions League. This is the third time he has taken the Reds to this stage of the competition.
“It’s great, absolutely great. It never happened that I take something like this for granted. I’m really, really happy. That’s it pretty much.”
“I said it now a couple of times, I know we will talk about the game and the things that happened, the goals we conceded, and all of these kind of things, but on a day when I’m not over the moon about qualifying for the Champions League semi-finals then something is really wrong – maybe it would be the right time just to quit.”
Make us dream again
Whilst the Yellow Submarine could be seen as the underdogs in the UCL final four, on their day they are more than capable of causing a thunderous upset. Klopp hailed Unai Emery as ‘the king of the cups’ ahead of their semi-final showdown.
This goes to show the kind of respect that the 54-year-old manager has for the Spanish club and its coach. That being said, Klopp has a pretty impressive record against Emery. The German boss has played the Spanish manager 5 times across all competitions, recording 3 victories along with one defeat and one draw during that time.
The former FSV Mainz 05 manager has become largely adept at rotating his squad this season. The Anfield outfit is now on the cusp of something great, but now is not the time for complacency as we head into the business end of the campaign.
Signings made in the last couple of transfer windows such as Luis Diaz and Ibrahima Konate have integrated themselves into our squad really well. The former managed to score the third goal in our first leg against Os Encarnados whereas the latter bagged a goal in each leg, steamrolling the Reds to get into the next round of the competition.
The beautiful game is still largely dominated by the emotions invested in it by the fans and the famous European nights at Anfield are testimony to this. ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ is more than just a tagline, it is a way of life in Liverpool.
This support will be even more important as the Reds take on Manchester City, Manchester United, Everton, and Villarreal in their upcoming fixtures respectively. Gaining favourable results here is easier said than done, but Liverpool would be hoping to bag more silverware before the end of the season.
More Liverpool News
- Transfer News: Liverpool could make a summer move for RB Salzburg star Luka Susic
- Jurgen Klopp provides fitness update on two Liverpool superstars ahead of FA Cup clash against Manchester City
- Liverpool fans react on Twitter as Reds qualify for the UEFA Champions League semi-finals following a 6-4 aggregate win over Benfica
This surely comes as a welcome season for us in Europe after failing to make the last four in the last two UCL seasons, losing to Atletico Madrid in the last 16 following our 2019 Champions League trophy lift and faltering against Real Madrid in the quarter-final last year.
