Jurgen Klopp was full of praise for center backs Nate Phillips and Ozan Kabak, as the pair led Liverpool’s 2–0 Champions League victory over RB Leipzig.
Phillips placed a man of match-level performance in the win, which propelled Liverpool to the quarter-finals, while the Cables The transition to life continued on Enfield with a strong outing on Wednesday in Budapest.
With Liverpool still struggling in the league, Wednesday’s effort will go a long way towards restoring the Reds’ confidence, with Klopp crediting his central defenders.
What did Klopp say?
“Two center stops played an incredible game,” Klopp explained BT Sport. “The whole last line played an incredible game because it is a difficult task. We had to suppress them. We defended really well together, which is important.
“Everyone had a great game. It was a good performance. “
In his postgame press conference, Klopp praised Phillips even more.
“Oh, my God, what a player, what a night for him,” Klopp said. “It was absolutely fantastic. When he is playing for us, the concentration level he shows within the week is absolutely incredible.
“He is doing the right thing at the right moments. He is an aerial monster and not bad on the floor. “
Fabinho back in the central region
With Kabak and the Phillies starting in defense, Fabinho Was freed to return to midfield, Where he played alongside Giorginio Visionaldum and Thiago.
Brazil provided the necessary cover in the middle of the field, allowing Visionaldum and Thiago to rotate and frustrate RB Leipzig.
If Klopp can continue to rely on other center backs, Fabinho will be free to return to midfield more regularly, which Brazil certainly favors.
“I asked her later: ‘Do you like position number 6 more than the other number?’ And he said ‘Yes!’ “He couldn’t be more clear!”
gaining momentum
While Liverpool’s hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League are in jeopardy, they will now build Wednesday’s performance as they look to a possible fight at the table.
The Reds are set to visit the Wolves on Monday in their last match before the international break, and Klopp is expecting the team to be more confident in a game that has faltered domestically in recent weeks.
“we have to [use it as momentum], “He said.” The last time we played in the Champions League, it was a long journey. We play next Monday, that’s fine. We have to prepare ourselves. If we play like that tonight we If done, it will not be easy for the wolves. That is a big difference. “
He said: “We had to take that Premier League stuff off, to get here and give it a fair try. The boys really enjoyed themselves tonight, which is important. We’re doing the hardest and dirtiest. Because it was a big challenge. “
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