Jurgen Klopp has explained his Champions League team selection – as he confirmed Liverpool avoided any new injury concerns. Despite having already secured qualification to the knockout stages as group winners, the Reds boss resisted wholesale rotation for the 2-0 Group B win over Porto at Anfield on Wednesday. Liverpool made only four changes to the starting line-up, although Klopp made full use of the five substitutions available to him during the second half. And asked if maintaining rhythm had been part of his thinking,
Jurgen Klopp said: “Absolutely that was the plan. We had a lot of things to think about – who came back from injury, who played a lot of games, who needs to get rested. For this game, nobody felt like they needed a rest. They are used to playing Saturday then Wednesday, they are completely fine. It’s just the amount of games coming up. We need them all in a kind of rhythm, that’s why the line-up made real sense. It worked out really well. Nobody got injured. Everything is good.”
Thiago Alcantara set Liverpool on their way with an outstanding 25-yard strike seven minutes after half-time before Mohamed Salah’s 17th goal of the season secured a fifth win out of five in the competition this season. And of the opener,
Jurgen Klopp said: “We had bigger chances in the game than that, but we scored that situation because it was just an incredible goal. I see Thiago in training and he has the technique to do it but even with that technique it doesn’t happen constantly that he fires such a thunderball. It was good timing to be honest, we needed it. Great goal.”
James Milner, who made his comeback from a hamstring problem as a late substitute, will miss the final group game at AC Milan in a fortnight through suspension after being booked.
