Tough for Reds to win: Klopp
Injuries, poor form mean Liverpool will find it difficult to clinch Champions League title
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Mohamed Salah (far left) celebrating with Diogo Jota (centre) and Sadio Mane after scoring Liverpool's first goal in the 2-0 Champions League last-16, second-leg win over RB Leipzig on Wednesday. It was the Egyptian forward's fifth goal in eight Champions League appearances this campaign.
PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
BUDAPEST • Jurgen Klopp believes every club left in the Champions League will aim to win it but despite Liverpool cruising into the last eight, he played down his own team's chances as they struggle for form on the domestic front.
The Reds advanced after a 2-0 win over RB Leipzig at the Puskas Arena on Wednesday to complete a 4-0 aggregate victory as they sailed into the quarter-finals for the third time in four seasons.
But they are languishing in eighth spot in the Premier League, seven points behind fourth-placed Chelsea (50), and winning the Champions League appears their best shot at qualifying for Europe's elite club competition next term.
However, given their tepid form and the long-term injuries to key players, Klopp admitted the six-time European Cup winners are not the favourites to lift the only trophy they can win this season.
"The only reason you play in this competition is because you want to win it," said the German, whose team last failed to qualify for this competition in 2016-17.
"I am not silly, we know so far this is not a season which looks like we will win the Champions League, but that doesn't mean we don't want to go as far as possible and then we will see what is possible for us.
"Now we have to wait for the draw (next Friday); it will be extremely tough whoever we get, but we don't really think that far, we don't have to."
Top scorer Mohamed Salah, who opened the scoring in the 70th minute before Sadio Mane netted four minutes later, urged his teammates to focus game by game.
"The team is not in the best shape but we want to fight in the Champions League and in each game in the Premier League," he said.
"We don't have to look to the big picture because sometimes when you do, we see too much pressure carried on to the pitch. We just need to leave the pressure off the field and play."
For Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann, their early elimination will be a setback after reaching the semi-finals in what was their second appearance last season.
The Bundesliga side are relative newcomers to the Champions League but have made big strides in recent campaigns and are pushing Bayern Munich hard in the German league - they are second, just two points behind the world champions (55) this term.
Yet they still have much to learn at this level, Nagelsmann conceded. "We don't want to lose, but sometimes, you just have to admit the opponent was better," he said. "We have to accept it.
"There are lessons to be learnt. We didn't show enough emotion on the pitch. The experience from the first leg was at the back of people's minds still.
"We knew Liverpool had a lot of pace and were good on the break, and have talent in terms of their strikers. Maybe we didn't have enough courage."
REUTERS