Opinion

Jurgen Klopp never got what he wanted after Atletico Madrid defeat

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Jurgen Klopp wanted Liverpool to ‘put things right’ after their defeat to Atletico Madrid last month. Four games later, he never really got that.

“It’s really from sunshine to hardest rain – and that’s how it should be,” he said after the defeat and ahead of West Ham (per Liverpoolfc.com). “If you really want to be successful and if you could be successful – what we could have been in that game – then it has to feel really bad and that’s how it felt.

Jurgen Klopp never really got what he wanted.
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images

“So yes, we want to put things right, even when it’s a different competition.”

Liverpool played their last game before the second leg on Saturday against Bournemouth. They won, too, and took another step closer to the Premier League title.

But much like the other three games since the defeat to Atletico, it wasn’t a convincing performance.

The Reds fell behind for what is now the fifth consecutive game. They arguably should have had a freekick in the build-up but they still failed to defend the situation.

Five consecutive games – an astonishing run, considering you have to go back to the home fixture against Napoli in November to find the last time Liverpool were behind (not counting the 5-0 defeat to Aston Villa with the youth team).

Liverpool did fight back to win the game but still looked shaky. James Milner saved the points in the end with a dramatic goal-line clearance.

So the team will face Atletico on Wednesday without every having ‘put things right’ as Klopp wanted. That makes things more difficult – certainly mentally.

Liverpool fell behind again v Bournemouth.
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images

And the fact that they keep going behind doesn’t bode well, either. One away goal for Atletico makes life a lot tougher and while they’ve shown an ability to fight back, Liverpool haven’t done so against a team this good at defending.

So it will be a tough game on Wednesday. One that’s ripe for a famous Anfield night.