Jurgen Klopp is not taking anything for granted after his Liverpool side won the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final at Anfield with a comeback win over Fulham.
Willian’s first-half lead was cancelled out after the break through Curtis Jones’s deflected strike, and three minutes later, substitute Cody Gakpo scored the winner to give the Reds a slender lead to take into the second leg.
That takes place at Craven Cottage on January 24, when Marco Silva’s Fulham will hope to mount a comeback and reach their first-ever League Cup final.
“It’s not over yet”, said Klopp. “Fulham will not be overly happy tonight but know they are still in. Hopefully we will be better from the start [in the second leg].
“It’s a few days between now and then. With the whole story of the game, I’m obviously happy with it.”
He added: “In the situation we are in with a lot of players not in, in the first half we were not brilliant.”
Klopp brought Darwin Nunez on in the second half. Although the Uruguayan’s woes in front of goal continued as Bernd Leno made a string of top saves, Nunez turned provider for Gakpo’s winner and is Liverpool’s top assister this season.
Klopp continued: “I’m so happy with the crowd and how they take it [his missed chances] and Darwin and how he takes it. You cannot be more unlucky. He plays outstandingly, I have to say it.
"The impact they [Nunez and Gakpo off the bench] had was brilliant.”
Silva was frustrated by the way his side conceded twice in quick succession just as they did in their league trip to Anfield last month, but feels his side remains in the tie.
“It’s still tight”, Silva said. “We lost the first half [of the tie]. We have to go for it in the second half. That’s clear. We were ruthless. The first chance, a really good moment from Willian and we scored.
“It’s a big frustration”, he said of Liverpool’s quickfire turnaround. “We spoke about it beforehand. We know what happens with these types of sides and these types of crowds.
“They [Liverpool] scored a bit of a lucky goal, the first one, that changed the game. We then lost a little bit the maturity in that moment. We gave them a lot of space for the second goal.
“We definitely have something to play for. That’s clear. We know what Liverpool are capable of doing. Both teams are without some key players. After a tough game against Chelsea we have all the time to prepare for a tough second leg.
“We are are going to be at home. We have our ambition to be at Wembley. We are going to fight for what we want.”
