Jürgen Klopp has said Liverpool’s history fuels belief in miracles but, unlike their famous comeback against Barcelona or Alisson’s header at West Brom, Champions League qualification is out of their hands.
Liverpool have climbed to within a point of Manchester United in the race for a top-four finish after six consecutive Premier League victories, although they have played one game more than Erik ten Hag’s faltering side. Liverpool’s surge has echoes of their recovery to claim Champions League football in 2020-21, when the goalkeeper Alisson scored a vital stoppage-time winner at the Hawthorns. Two seasons earlier, Klopp’s team overturned a 3-0 deficit against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals en route to winning Liverpool’s sixth European crown.
The Liverpool manager admits the unforgettable episodes are a constant reminder to his team that anything is possible, although the difference this season is their reliance on outside favours to overhaul United or Newcastle.
“It is not that we mention it every day but everyone who was involved in these moments will never forget it in our entire lives,” said Klopp, whose team travel to Leicester on Monday. “That means it is part of us and we were around when miracles happened, that is true, but then it was still in our hands. We had to score against West Brom and we had to win against Barcelona. Now we have to win but that does not mean anything changes because the other teams could win all their games.
“A few weeks ago it was completely out of sight, I couldn’t see it at all, but that did not mean we would not try to get closer. That’s the only thing we did: we got closer. I am pretty sure we were in a situation like that years ago in the second season we qualified for the Champions League; Chelsea was winning all the time behind us so we had to win all the games. It’s not comfortable but in the end we made it anyway. Newcastle and United would be happy if we would not be there any more and Brighton just starts losing now and Tottenham, but still it is more likely they will do it. I respect that. If they finish the season above us they deserve it.”
Although failure to secure Champions League football would affect Liverpool financially, Klopp believes transfer targets – Brighton’s Alexis Mac Allister and Chelsea’s Mason Mount among them – would remain attracted to the lure of Anfield. “It is a fantastic football club with a really good football team and an even better one next season hopefully,” he said. “It is still Liverpool, we are really attractive for a lot of players and should not forget that.”
