Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp wants his team to give Europa League opponents Toulouse the deserved respect
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has urged his team to give Europa League opponents Toulouse full respect rather than take victory for granted at Anfield on Thursday night.
The French side visit Merseyside for a clash between the top two teams in Group E, with Liverpool able to move nine points at the top of the table with a win. Doing so will aid us in our bid to secure early qualification for the knockout rounds.
But Klopp insisted Toulouse deserve acknowledgement for their achievements, including holding Paris Saint-Germain in a draw in Ligue 1 this season in an interview covered by the Liverpool Echo.
‘I haven’t thought about Sunday yet to be honest, not at all. Toulouse deserves all of our respect.’
Ahead of the European tie, he highlighted Toulouse’s triumph in the French Cup last season as proof of their quality and potential to cause an upset. Europe is a different ball game to domestic leagues and teams are always better off keeping up their guard. Toulouse recently held Paris Saint-Germain to a draw, showcasing their credentials.
‘They have a really young team, a talented team, a football team. When you see them playing it is really nice, they have a really clear idea of what they want to do.’
They got a point against PSG, which is obviously massive so we need to show we are really ready.’
The Liverpool boss explained Toulouse have shown tactical flexibility depending on the opposition. But he has been impressed by their general emphasis on attack-minded football. Klopp has to ensure that his players never take an opposition side for granted irrespective of how the sides look on paper.
Klopp wants Liverpool to set the tone through their own energetic performance in front of a buoyant home support. He insisted Toulouse must not enjoy their trip to Merseyside, with Liverpool focused only on claiming three more points.
The German concluded by saying that the Reds will be starting the match with the intention to win. Momentum is key and we cannot afford to pick and choose the games in which we turn up.
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Klopp’s comments indicated he will select a strong lineup as Liverpool aim to take complete control of their group. Hopefully, another win is around the corner for the Reds.
