Klopp Refuses To Take Midjtylland Lightly

Jurgen Klopp (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp stressed that his team did not underestimate the Danish club, FC Midtjylland, who will travel for the second Champions League Group D match at Anfield, Tuesday local time (Wednesday WIB).

Midtjylland is a team that is appearing for the first time in the Champions League finals this season, after being able to get past the more favored teams such as Young Boys and Slavia Prague.

However, a week ago Midtjylland marked its debut with a 4-0 defeat against Atalanta, a team that was a debutant last season but made a surprise appearance.

"It was 4-0, but the match didn't look that way, they looked competitive and had almost equal possession of the ball," Klopp said at a pre-match press conference reported by Antara from Liverpool's official website on Monday night.

Klopp emphasized that his team had a new challenge, because he considered Midtjylland to have a flexible game character.

"We don't see them as a small club, but a team that can present a challenge in this group," he said.

"Nobody is in this group because they come from a beautiful city or something, they are here because they can play good football and have the right to appear in the Champions League because of their performance last season," added Klopp.

"There is no smaller team in the Champions League, there are only Champions League teams. Big and small will be seen on the pitch, not in the press conference room," concluded the German coach.

A week ago, Liverpool achieved a result that was considered to be full of luck when they won 1-0 against Ajax with an own goal assisted by an own goal, when they were just starting out in a new period without their flagship defender Virgil van Dijk.

However, last weekend Liverpool appeared more convincing by winning a 2-1 victory over Sheffield United in the Premier League as a positive asset for the arrival of Midtjylland.