ReactionCody Gakpo on third UCL win: 'A good performance but we have to stay focused'

A first-half goal from Darwin Nunez – nudged home after Mohamed Salah’s header across the area – secured a 1-0 result for Arne Slot’s men in Germany on Wednesday night.

Denied a second on multiple occasions by their former goalkeeper, Leipzig’s Peter Gulacsi, the Reds also needed their own Caoimhin Kelleher to make several impressive saves to preserve a clean sheet.

The victory – a club-record sixth in a row away from home to start the season – sees Liverpool sit alongside Aston Villa as the only teams with the maximum nine points from three matchdays so far.

• Read our match report from Red Bull Arena here

Gakpo reflected on the evening’s work with Liverpoolfc.com post-match – read his reaction below…

On what he felt was key to the result for the Reds…

To put in a lot of work – defensively [and] also with the attacking. I think we worked very hard. We chose good moments to counter-attack, also to attack, and I think we did very well. Sometimes we just kept the ball as well. I think it was overall a good performance. At the end, we defended well. We needed Caoimh and the back line to save us, but that’s also a strength of us now and we are very happy with that.

On staying composed in the strong moments RB Leipzig had…

Yeah, I think that’s the most important. Obviously you can play very well on the ball, but against a good opponent you know [there are] some moments in the game [where] maybe they have some good moments. It’s all about to not concede at those times and stay locked in – and I think that’s what we did well today. Then, after those situations we gained control again and that’s how we mostly won this game today. We should have scored more goals I think, but at the end a win is a win so very happy.

On Kostas Tsimikas’ display and the importance of players making big contributions when they come into the side…

Kosti did very well. I played together with him on the left and I think we have a good connection; he played me, he made the overlap, I tried to play him and sometimes I go inside. Also with the goal, I think I got the ball, he made a good run, I gave it to him and then a great cross, how we know him. Then a good header from Mo and Darwin scored. He was very well involved and also defensively he stood his ground. Very good performance from him and he got [UEFA] Man of the Match so that says it all. Very happy for him that he showed that.

On Liverpool being one of only two teams with a 100 per cent record in the Champions League this season…

Obviously it’s the Champions League, a different set-up, maybe some more difficult games. We started off very well but there’s a few more matches in the group stage so we are not done yet and have to stay focused. But it shows the good start of us.