Jurgen Klopp has explained Liverpool’s thinking on Bayern Munich having home advantage in the Champions League.
Liverpool will host Bayern in the first-leg of their tie on Tuesday. That is considered a disadvantage for the Reds, of course, compared to what Bayern have.
Bayern won their Champions League group, earning them the right to play the second ‘decisive’ leg at home. Liverpool, as a result of only finishing second, host first.
It turns the first leg into a consolidation as sorts. You compete to put yourself into position for the second leg, but nothing is decided.
Klopp, however, admits that Liverpool don’t care about playing Bayern at home first.
Klopp on playing Bayern and ‘home advantage’
“Playing home first is not usually an advantage but we don’t care,” said Klopp, reports the BBC.
“There are two legs to play. Let’s create a basis we can use in the second game.
“Our crowd is really able to push us from 100% to 140%.”
Liverpool have had great success playing at home first, despite the supposed disadvantage.
Klopp guided Liverpool through fixtures against Manchester City and AS Roma last season that way. Both showed exactly how you turn it into an advantage: you win so convincingly that the second leg is a formality.
The Reds smashed City 3-0 at Anfield thanks to an incredible first half that decided the tie. They were then able to play on the counter in the away game, eventually winning it 2-1.
Similarly, Liverpool tore Roma to shreds at Anfield, winning 5-2. Not even a great performance from the Italians was able to salvage that one in the second leg.
That’s what Liverpool will aim for on Tuesday. They’ve got to blow Bayern away to the point where the second leg is just a formality.
While that’s easier said than done, Klopp and Liverpool know they’re perfectly capable of pulling it off.