Jurgen Klopp has urged Liverpool players to ignore their Champions League semi-final advantage after they took a significant step towards a third final in five years.
An own goal from Pervis Estupinan and Sadio Mane’s 20th goal of the season earned the Reds a 2-0 first-leg win over Villarreal at Anfield on Wednesday night.
Liverpool dominated possession but had to wait until the second half to find a way through the Spaniards, who had frustrated Juventus and Bayern Munich in the previous two rounds.
And while delighted with the performance of his team, Klopp is expecting a different match in next Tuesday’s return.
PLAYER RATINGS: Liverpool player ratings as Thiago Alcantara sublime and six others brilliant against Villarreal
IAN DOYLE: Liverpool reason for £20m transfer clear as joint worst record emerges
YOUR SHOUT: Rate the Liverpool players after Champions League win over Villarreal
“It is a dangerous scoreline,” said the Reds boss. “How much work is left to do? The full work. Nothing has happened yet, that’s how it is. It’s 2-0 at half-time and you have to be completely on alert and 100% in the right mood.
“We have to play the second half like the first half, as though there is nothing to defend – if you do that you immediately get all the advantages you might have had before.
“We know we go there and it will be a tricky atmosphere for us. It will be different to tonight. It’s always the same. If they beat us with a result that takes them to the final, then they deserve it. If not, then we deserve it. That’s how the competition is.
“We played a really good game and now in six days we play again and we have to make sure we are ready.
“It’s at Villarreal, different atmosphere and we have to deal with the 2-0 lead as well. The best way is to just ignore it and you go 0-0 and try to win the game there.”
Asked what was key to the victory, Klopp added: “The way we played, the way we defended Villarreal, the way we attacked Villarreal.
“I liked the first half, to be honest. It was clear we had to keep going, with Villarreal, when there’s one moment they can get out of pressure they are immediately a threat.
“Maturity is part of quality, to be honest. We should be like this. We spoke at half-time and I thought in the first half we looked really fresh, had good legs.
“It’s intense for us to play the way we play but it’s intense for the opponent to defend us. For us the challenge was that we really had to stay positive in these moments and try and fail and try and fail (to score), but keep trying in the same mindset and that’s what we did.
“The goals we scored were outstanding, I loved them, loved them. As well as the goal which didn’t count. Trent’s cross, Robbo’s finish but unfortunately it was offside. All good – so far.”
