Liverpool eager for C/League after EPL title miss
Missing out on the Premier League title on the last day of the season has given Liverpool an extra edge heading into the Champions League final, manager Juergen Klopp said.
Liverpool came from behind to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-1 at Anfield but City hit back from 2-0 down to beat Aston Villa and clinch back-to-back titles.
Liverpool, who have already won the League Cup and FA Cup, could add a seventh European crown to their collection in the Champions League final against Real Madrid on Saturday.
“This season is absolutely incredible and will not end today, it ends next week obviously,” Klopp told reporters. “And there we will try absolutely everything. We have now five days to prepare the final, that’s what we will do. And of course, losing the league today increased the desire to put it right next week, it increased the desire.”
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Klopp also congratulated City and manager Pep Guardiola on winning their fourth Premier League title in five years.
“I am proud but I’m disappointed, of course, as well,” Klopp said. “There are maybe worse scenarios, if you would have been a point up and don’t make it, that might feel even worse.
“Congratulations to Manchester City, Pep Guardiola, all staff, all players, whole club, for being champions. We were close but in the end not close enough. That’s how it is.”
Liverpool face the Spanish champions in Paris on May 28 in a rematch of the 2018 showpiece in Kiev, which Real Madrid won 3-1.
The title was decided on the final day of the season with the two clubs separated by a solitary point after 37 games played. City found themselves 2-0 down against Aston Villa and Jurgen Klopp and his Reds had a glorious chance to leapfrog them one final time. But they were a goal down to Wolves at Anfield.
Both sides made the worst start possible in their crunch games but City came storming back. They grabbed three goals in five historic minutes to defeat Villa 3–2 and it was enough to hold off Liverpool who also won 3-1.