Klopp looking forward to facing ‘special’ Leeds and ‘the fight’ for the top four | OneFootball

Jurgen Klopp has revealed he’s looking forward to his side’s upcoming clash with Leeds United, as well as the ongoing battle to secure a top-four spot.

In what’s been an underwhelming campaign thus far, the Reds suffered further disappointment in midweek as they crashed out of the Champions League following a 3-1 aggregate defeat to 13-time winners Real Madrid.

The semi-final second-leg had seen an improved display from Klopp’s men, yet they simply couldn’t find a way past a stubborn Madrid backline, while the likes of Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino missed glorious chances to get their side back into the tie.

That exit means last season’s Premier League title winners will have to rely on claiming a top-four spot to clinch a place in Europe’s elite competition next season, although they are current up against it with the likes of Leicester, West Ham and Chelsea also fighting it out for a place in the top-four.

While 2021, in particular, has been a real struggle for the champions, they have found form in recent weeks and picked up a vital win over Aston Villa last weekend, courtesy of a last-gasp Trent Alexander-Arnold strike, to end their Anfield hoodoo.

Ahead of an intriguing clash with Leeds on Monday night – and with the Reds currently just three points off the Hammers in fourth – Klopp has stated his side are ‘still in the fight’ for the top-four, while he also heaped praise on Marcelo Bielsa’s ‘special’ side.

“But now it’s the situation, we won the last three games, that’s why we are still in the fight for the Champions League spots. If we would have won only one and drew two, it could look completely different,” the Liverpool boss said at his pre-match presser.

“If we would have lost all three, we don’t have to talk and all this kind of thing. So, the way is clear – we have to win football games. The best way would be win all the football games but there are tough opponents and we respect that, we really respect that.

“We see the situation we are in and we see it positively, to be honest. We are around, we have to win our games to put pressure on the other teams and stuff like this. That’s all what we know and that’s what we try, but nothing else really.

“If we have the momentum, we will see on Monday night. It’s a completely different game. Leeds in the moment is probably the most different game in the league, if you want.

“If you compare a few teams with each other, some play this, some play that and so on. But Leeds is really special and for that we have to be ready.”

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