Programme notes'Relish tonight and the opportunities that come with it' - Van Dijk's pre-Atalanta message

And the captain has called on Jürgen Klopp's side to put behind them the frustration of last weekend's draw with Manchester United and show a strong reaction in front of their home supporters.

The Reds host the Serie A outfit in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final clash this evening, as they look to take another step towards next month's showpiece final in Dublin.

And writing in his column in the official matchday programme, Van Dijk said: "Ever since the draw for the Europa League quarter-finals was made, this was a tie that we were looking forward to.

"A European night at Anfield against a top side from Italy in springtime is definitely something to get excited about.

"I know everyone, including myself, was disappointed that we didn't win at Old Trafford on Sunday, but the situation also requires some perspective. We are still joint-top of the Premier League on points, we have one trophy in the bag and another to play for in this competition.

"The key now is to carry on giving all that we have on both remaining fronts. So we should not be overly critical of ourselves, but if we are able to recognise at the same time that there are certain things that we need to do better, it will give us the best possible chance of achieving our objectives.

"At moments like this, there are responses that you have to look for in yourself and in others. The first is the immediate reaction and I can tell you that, to a man, we all recognised the need for improvement in certain areas straight away. It was not something that anyone needed to be told – we all knew it.

"Now it is up to us to use this knowledge to our benefit."

Van Dijk continued: "At most, there are 12 matches left to play in two competitions and ideally we want to play every single one of them.

"Again, this is about the standards that we set ourselves on a daily basis, whether we are in training or playing matches. It has always been like this from the moment that I first arrived at Liverpool and it is something that we never want to change.

"As ever, we will have to see how far this approach takes us, but first things first – we should relish tonight and the opportunities that come with it. Liverpool is a club that exists for big European nights, so let's look to make the most of this one."

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