Liverpool coach Juergen Klopp said his team was ready for one of the toughest challenges in soccer when he visited Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League round sixteen today.
The European champions are turning away at the top of the Premier League and are favorites to qualify at the expense of coach Diego Simeone’s team, who face a difficult time in the Spanish League and may fail to reach the Champions League next season.
But Klopp praised Atletico and said his team needed to be at its best if it wanted to produce a positive result.
“This is one of the most difficult games in a footballer’s life,” Klopp told a news conference.
“(Atlético) is very organized and can get results. He is in a transitional period and this is normal, but he fights with everything he owns. This is really difficult.”
“He has speed, ferocity, and clear philosophy. I know we are in a short-pass country, but I appreciate such things. They are all good.”
“If there is a team that you must face while you are at your best, it is Atletico. It does not give you gifts. If you strive as hard as you will, you will have the opportunity. If you do not, you will not have a chance. There is a reason to reach many of the continental final matches.”
Apart from Sheridan Shakiri, Club has a full squad for the standoff at the Metropolitan Stadium, where Liverpool won the Champions League last June.
