Sakho: We want to make you proud tonight
Mamadou Sakho says Liverpool will do all they can to overcome the challenge of Borussia Dortmund at Anfield this evening, and promised fans: 'We will try to make you proud'.
The Frenchman will hope to return to the starting XI as Jürgen Klopp's men once again do battle with BVB in a Europa League quarter-final tie that is finely poised after a tight first leg.
The Reds hold a slight advantage on away goals after battling to a 1-1 draw in Germany, but Sakho insists there is a long way to go before a place in the last four is confirmed.
And the centre-back knows just how big a role the Anfield atmosphere could play in that dream becoming a reality.
"The fans are the 12th man," he told Liverpoolfc.com.
"They help us always and give us the courage to fight more. We will try to make them proud.
"I think we played a good game [in Dortmund] but now it will be a different challenge and the most important [thing] is to achieve our objective.
"We try to go to the next stage in this cup."
Sakho expects home advantage to play a big part in the second leg, as he believes Dortmund's confidence could be affected by their unfamiliar surroundings.
Conversely, the No.17 is convinced that he and his teammates will flourish over the course of an evening at the ground they call home.
He added: "I think it’s like when you go to eat at your friend’s house and you don’t feel the same as when you eat in your proper place! It’s a different feeling.
"It’s normal for them to feel different, it’s our stadium, our place, and we will feel more confidence because we know the stadium better than that."