When the Liverpool team visits Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday, manager Jurgen Klopp has guaranteed that his players would respond to their shocking 3-0 home loss to Atalanta in the Europa League.
Liverpool’s chances of completing Klopp’s tenure with a spectacular European final in Dublin are seriously threatened as the Reds suffered their first home loss in 14 months at the hands of Atalanta, who punished a lackluster performance.
Next week, Liverpool will play a match against Oliver Glasner’s Palace team and the fierce competition at the top of the Premier League. The second leg of the quarterfinal encounter will take place in Bergamo.
Asked how he could ensure there would be no hangover from Thursday’s result going into Sunday, Klopp said: “First and foremost, I cannot ensure that, never could. But still, it’s the job I have to do.
“I don’t think it was a general low point but performance-wise it was a low point. But the really good thing about a really bad performance is you can play better. Start from there.
“This must feel bad and it does, so let the boys take it home, sleep on it and then come together and recover and go from there.
“On Saturday we will start preparing for Crystal Palace. We have to show a reaction, definitely, 100 percent clear, but I cannot plan the reaction [straight] after the game…but we will show a reaction, I can promise.”
Joe Gomez, Ibrahima Konate, Kostas Tsimikas, Harvey Elliott, Cody Gakpo, and Curtis Jones were the six players Klopp changed from the starting lineup for the game on Thursday.
Diogo Jota made his first appearance of any kind since nearly two months ago, coming off the bench for Jones, who was making his first start since February after two substitute appearances following his injury.
Extended Absenteeism Trent Alexander-Arnold and Stefan Bajcetic were two of the substitutes;
However, according to Klopp, Alexander-Arnold has “no chance” of playing and was only included in the squad because UEFA rules allow him to choose up to 23 players.
Liverpool is still fighting on two fronts, so there is no break in the schedule, and Klopp is keen to get his team back to full condition.
“There is no pressure [to manage the injured players’ returns], that’s just the situation,” he said.
“My job isn’t the easiest job in the world but it’s not the most difficult. But it’s about the players, you need to make sure you get them on the pitch and then it works out somehow.”
“We’ve played different line-ups and played really good football and [on Thursday] we didn’t and that’s the reason we lost. That can be the headline. It didn’t work out and that’s absolutely fine and right.”
“But we need them all and we need them all aggressive, fit, going for it, a bit angry and full of desire and not so much dealing with your own situation, ‘I need rhythm, I didn’t play for ages’ – try to avoid that.”