Klopp: Chelsea showdown is like a CL semi-final
The challenge Liverpool will face at Stamford Bridge on Sunday is similar to that which they experienced in Rome in midweek, believes Jürgen Klopp.
Chelsea host the Reds in a pivotal fixture for the Premier League top-four race knowing that victory is imperative to keep their pursuit from fifth place alive.
A win for Klopp’s men would guarantee another season of Champions League football while a draw would mean only an unlikely set of circumstances could deny them their objective.
The delicately-poised scenario puts the onus on Antonio Conte’s men – as was the case when AS Roma tried to eradicate a three-goal deficit in the European semi-final earlier this week.
“Chelsea is a similar situation to the [Roma] game – fighting with all they have, they don’t have anything to lose,” Klopp told Liverpoolfc.com.
“If we draw it’s not good for them; if we win it’s not good for them. They have to win and they will try to do so. It’s like a Champions League semi-final, to be honest.
“We will see what we can do there. The good thing is that we have another game but we don’t think about that at the moment. We need to be ready for the game.
“We had a few really nice moments already this season but you never have time to celebrate it for a second! There is always the next one. Now we have to play that game – Chelsea are waiting.”