Journalist Richard Keys believes that Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool have got what it takes to win this year’s Champions League.
Liverpool won the Champions League in the 2018/19 season after they beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in an all-English final.
Klopp’s side claimed a crucial 2-0 away victory last Wednesday in the Champions League against Inter, and the Italian side have a lot to do if they want to turn things around at Anfield and progress into the next round.
Writing in his latest blog post, Keys understands that Liverpool are not ‘afraid’ of Manchester City – especially in the Champions League – as he believes they have what it takes to go all the way again in this year’s competition.
He wrote: “I fancy Liverpool [in the Premier League]. And I fancy Liverpool in Europe as well. Why? Because they’re better. They’re stronger. They can grind wins and they’re not afraid of City. There’s a reason Guardiola called them a ‘pain in the a***’ before the Spurs game. He knows.”
TIF Thoughts on Richard Keys’ comments…
Keys has seemingly shared a lot of hatred towards Liverpool in the past, so it’s quite a surprise to see him tipping the Merseyside club for such great things.
Klopp’s side looked to be drifting away from Man City in the league, but have recently pulled it back and sit just six points behind the Citizens with a game in hand.
With Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane returning from the Africa Cup of Nations, it is hard to disagree with Keys’ comments, when the former has scored eight goals in seven games in the Champions League so far.
The introduction of Luis Diaz from FC Porto could be vital towards Liverpool’s Champions League hopes, as he is a player who has experience in the competition and can offer fresh legs if one of the other attackers are not 100% due to fixture congestion.
Diaz has already played seven times in the Champions League this term – six times with Porto, where he scored twice, and then in the Reds’ recent triumph at the San Siro.
With this taken into consideration, it is hard to identify a side in this year’s competition that will be able to contain Liverpool’s threat that they can offer.