Klopp’s two-pronged approach vindicated again

Jurgen Klopp was at his snappiest with the Anfield press corps when it was suggested before this match that an exit from the Champions League against Bayern Munich would only boost their chances of winning a first domestic title in 29 years. He said the suggestion was mad. Now we will see if the energetic German coach is right.

Klopp’s two-pronged approach vindicated again

Jurgen Klopp was at his snappiest with the Anfield press corps when it was suggested before this match that an exit from the Champions League against Bayern Munich would only boost their chances of winning a first domestic title in 29 years. He said the suggestion was mad. Now we will see if the energetic German coach is right.

Liverpool are only one point behind Premier League leaders and holders Manchester City and this consummate triumph over the Bundesliga’s top side showed Liverpool have the nerve to survive and thrive in the eight-game run-in. The atmosphere was as intense as Anfield on a red hot European night in a match they knew they had to take the sting out of a free scoring Bayern team with a passionate support to match. In a delicately poised match, Virgil van Dijk’s decisive header was no more than his side deserved and merely emphasised why Liverpool were most pundits’ favourites when they drew the German champions.

Like Real Madrid, Bayern are living on past glories. The Merseyside club, it now seems, have it all ahead of them. Klopp has the squad to cope in two competitions, as he once again showed in Germany last night, and none of his players, young or old, are going to be unduly concerned going to clubs such as Fulham and Cardiff now. Liverpool completing the Premier League’s Fab Four Champions League quarter-finalists can only be an advantage so far as Klopp is concerned — and he may well have a point. If nothing else it will help him in the long run in terms of attracting players and paying top wages.

Last season’s run to the final earned the Reds about €72m and they are a minimum €9m better off thanks to knocking Bayern out. They go to Fulham this Sunday where most ‘big’ teams have come away with comfortable victories this season, before a two-week domestic break and returning to a home match against fading title pretenders Tottenham. A Friday night trip to Southampton will also suit Klopp ahead of their first-leg quarter-final the following week and Chelsea are the visitors to Anfield the ensuing Sunday, giving Liverpool a shorter break before the second leg of their last-eight showdown.

April finishes with a match at Cardiff before they host another relegation-threatened side in Huddersfield Town. They might, of course, have to squeeze in the start of a two-legged semi-final after that as they go into their final two Premier League games in May — away to Newcastle and Wolves at home on the final Sunday of the season. Manchester City, still in the FA Cup in which they play at Swansea on Saturday, have a similar run of fixtures to Liverpool apart from the stand-out trip to in-form Manchester United on April 24.

Could their closest rivals yet settle the destiny of this season’s championship? Klopp said the questions about Liverpool’s trophy credentials this season are largely coming from former United players in the media, so it would give him even more satisfaction to prove them wrong. And with players such as Sane in this goal-hungry form, who is to say they will not be the most likely club to deny Manchester City both domestically and in Europe?

The way he made his way to meet Mo Salah’s cross to head in Liverpool’s third goal in the closing minutes symbolised a player at the top of his confidence. His opening goal was world class control, awareness, and finishing, but the second was a straightforward striker’s special. The once rocking Allianz Arena rapidly started to empty as if there was a fire drill — for home supporters only. The driving rain might have dampened their spirits, but it was this mature Liverpool display in terms of tactics and performance that ultimately did for them.

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