Jurgen Klopp wins record 50th European tie and says that ‘everybody will hate it’
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Liverpool's Mohamed Salah scoring the third goal in the 3-1 Europa League win over LASK.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
LINZ – After Jurgen Klopp became the first Liverpool manager to win 50 European matches on Thursday night, he insisted that “everybody will hate that”, seemingly referring to how rivals would not like to see him succeed.
The German changed his entire team for the opening game of the Europa League group stage away to Austrian side LASK and, despite falling behind, the Reds won 3-1.
That victory broke a tie for most European victories with Rafael Benitez, who won 49 games between 2004 and 2010 and, like Klopp, led the club to a Champions League title.
The win also put Liverpool – playing in the Europa League for the first time since finishing runners-up in 2016 – top of Group E, which includes Union Saint-Gilloise and Toulouse, who drew 1-1.
“Let me say it like this, if I still have (only) 50 after the group stage, then I’m still the most successful Liverpool manager and everybody will hate that,” Klopp said.
“It’s nice. We have played a lot of games in Europe, but it is good that we have won that many and we have frequently qualified for finals. It’s great, but also probably because the competition now has so many more games than in the past.”
Bob Paisley, who won three European Cups with Liverpool, won 39 European games, out of 61. His legendary predecessor Bill Shankly won 34 out of 65 and led the club to a first European trophy – the Uefa Cup in 1973.
Thursday night was Klopp’s 82nd European game at the club. Benitez managed 85 matches for the Reds.
The win did not come easy, however, as Liverpool fell behind to a 14th-minute rocket from Florian Flecker. Darwin Nunez then levelled with a 56th-minute penalty kick after Luis Diaz was brought down.
After 61 minutes, Klopp started to replace teenagers with regular starters. Within two minutes they were ahead when Ryan Gravenberch, on his full debut, burst down the right and crossed low for Diaz to score from close range.
Two minutes from the end, Mohamed Salah, a second-half replacement, poked home a third.
“I’m really, really happy, because I said before, I knew it would be difficult and it was difficult. A well-deserved win in the end, and that’s it,” added Klopp.
Elsewhere, West Ham United, who won the Europa Conference League last season, also hit back to beat visiting Serbian club TSC Backa Topola 3-1.
Brighton & Hove Albion, making their European debut in the Europa League, and Aston Villa playing in the Conference League both fell behind early and, although they each equalised twice, lost 3-2.
The Seagulls were defeated at home by Greek side AEK Athens, while Villa lost away to Legia of Poland. AFP
