Champions League: Klopp defends Liverpool after collapse in Sevilla

Sevilla 3 Liverpool 3

Jurgen Klopp defended his team’s mental toughness after watching Liverpool suffer a second-half collapse that cost them two precious Champions League points.

“I don’t doubt the mentality of the boys, not a bit,” said Klopp. “We showed already a fantastic mentality. We showed it in a lot of other games... yes, it was not perfect [tonight], that’s true, but it’s not a general problem.”

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The problems in the first-half were all caused by the Reds, playing a Sevilla side unbeaten at home for more than a year. But the Spanish had no answer to the creativity of Philippe Coutinho, whose corner was fired home by Roberto Firmino in the second minute.

The Reds then doubled their advantage on 22 minutes, again Coutinho creating the goal with a corner that was put away by Sadio Mane. Firmino made it 3-0 on the half-hour mark as the Reds ran riot in front of a stunned crowd at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

They were still shocked at the break as Liverpool trotted down the tunnel three goals to the good and in most eyes assured of qualification for the last 16 of the tournament.

But the Spanish side staged an astonishing comeback in the second period, sparked by Wissam Ben Yedder’s glancing header from a free-kick on 51 minutes.

Alberto Moreno had conceded the foul that led to the set-piece and the Spanish defender then capped a night to forget by giving away a penalty nine minutes later. Yedder converted the spot kick and it was now a question of whether the Reds could remain resolute for the final 30 minutes.

But the side who have now conceded 28 goals in 20 games this season looked shaken and disorganised in the final quarter and it was no surprise when Guido Pizarro scrambled the ball over the Liverpool line in the third minute of stoppage time to give Sevilla a share of the points.

“The real problem is we stopped playing football, we had to close the game,” said Klopp. “Three-nil is a wonderful result, but you have to stay in the game.”

Admitting that the result felt like a defeat, the Liverpool manager said: “It’s a point but in the moment it feels really bad.”

A consoling factor for Liverpool was the scoreline from the other Group E game, in which Spartak Moscow were held to a 1-1 draw by Maribor. The result leaves the Russian side in third place, three points behind leaders Liverpool and two shy of Sevilla.

Spartak travel to Anfield on 6 December for their final group game and the Reds need to avoid defeat to ensure their passage into the last 16.

Last night’s Champions League results

Group E

• Spartak Moscow 1 NK Maribor 1
• Sevilla 3 Liverpool 3

Group F

• Manchester City 1 Feyenoord 0
• Napoli 3 Shakhtar Donetsk 0

Group G

• Besiktas 1 FC Porto 1
• Monaco 1 RB Leipzig 4

Group H

• Apoel Nicosia 0 Real Madrid 6
• Borussia Dortmund 1 Tottenham Hotspur 2

Tonight’s Champions League fixtures (7.45pm unless stated)

Group A

• CSKA Moscow vs. Benfica (5pm)
• FC Basel vs. Manchester United

Group B

• Paris Saint Germain vs. Celtic
• RSC Anderlecht vs. Bayern Munich

Group C

• FK Qarabag vs. Chelsea (5pm)
• Atletico Madrid vs. Roma

Group D

• Juventus vs. Barcelona
• Sporting Lisbon vs. Olympiakos