Liverpool inflicted a 5-1 defeat on Sparta Prague within the first leg of their Europa League tie, and dressing room footage reveals how Jurgen Klopp‘s workforce choice was seen as a present of “respect.”
The Reds host the second leg of their final 16 tie on Thursday night with a wholesome four-goal benefit, although Klopp might not have the ability to rotate as closely as he would love regardless of the scoreline.
With a protracted damage checklist nonetheless to think about and UEFA squad guidelines, a bunch of senior gamers can be concerned, similar to they have been within the Czech Republic final week.
Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah have been the notable absentees from the beginning lineup within the first leg, and Sparta supervisor Brian Priske took pleasure in Klopp naming a robust workforce.
In Sparta’s model of ‘Inside Anfield’, if you’ll, Priske is filmed giving his workforce discuss within the dressing room, and it makes for fairly enlightening viewing.
He mentioned to his workforce: “No Salah and no Van Dijk, the remaining is sweet high quality. I see respect, respect for you guys for the lineup they create.
“It’s respect and credit score to you guys, they got here right here to combat and to play. And so they take this f***ing sh*t critically, I feel it’s a credit score to us and also you guys.
“Regardless of what they put out, I wish to see you guys play our soccer. Have the braveness to play, the construction to play – you already know precisely how we wish to play.
“I wish to see you guys play soccer as a result of they’ll include pace, depth that you simply most likely by no means confronted earlier than, so your selections should be higher in each side.”
It isn’t one thing we’re more likely to see in Liverpool’s new documentary sequence, however it’s an attention-grabbing perception into how a workforce builds themselves as much as face the Reds.
And Priske’s facet definitely did what he requested by sticking to their ideas towards the Reds, although the scoreline was not solely reflective of how the primary leg performed out.
You may wager they’ll look to do the identical at Anfield towards what is going to anticipated to be a robust however rotated Liverpool.
