Klopp Talk: “It Will Not Be Easy for Salzburg”

After losing their opening group stage game in the Champions League on the road against Napoli, Liverpool need all three at home tonight against Red Bull Salzburg—anything less would call into doubt their ability to make it to the knockouts.

Three points is the target, then. A win the only acceptable result. But they’re facing a side in top form, a side that plays a similar sort of game at Liverpool, and one that is good enough to get a result for themselves if the Reds aren’t at their best.

“We have to start winning and we should not waste time,” Jürgen Klopp said of Liverpool’s challenge in the Champions League’s matchweek two. “But it will be really, really tough, and [Salzburg] will surprise a lot of people—tomorrow and in the future.

“The way Salzburg plays is made to surprise bigger teams, but I have followed their ways for a long, long time, and had a similar idea when I started as a manager and stuff like this, so I know where the difficulties are. And we have a pretty good side as well.”

The defending champions of the competition, in fact, and a side that has won their first seven league games this season. But last time out, against Napoli, they didn’t look like that side. Tonight, they will know that they can be far, far better.

“We want to be—and it is always our target—the most uncomfortable opponent in world football,” Klopp added. “If we are that tomorrow night then it will not be easy for Salzburg and we should not forget that.”