Liverpool Manager Jurgen Klopp insists it would be wrong to compare it side European giants real, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
With the score 2: 1 victory over Manchester city ensured progress in Liverpool held the first semi-final of the Champions League in a decade with a 5-1 in the two matches at the Etihad stadium.
In the last four, they could meet two of the above teams after Barcelona were surprisingly knocked out Roma on away goals, although it was leading 4-1 in the first leg.
Klopp believes that, although the club five times became the winners of the competition – famously the last coming in 2005 – they still have a long way to go before they can really feel at home in such company.
However, this does not mean that they are in the semifinals with any inferiority complex.
“I have absolutely no interest in comparison with us. Barcelona, Bayern, real Madrid: they have won all in the last 20 years,” said Klopp.
“At the same time, we hardly won anything in the club.
“You don’t become a winner overnight, it happens from time to time – but it was an accident and a little luck.
“We can only grow. This (the Premier League) are incredibly strong, this competition (the Champions League) are incredibly strong, but I don’t care who is in (the competition).
“We are here, and we deserved it, and I am very pleased.
“While we fought for every opportunity to get it and then use it’s so hard, but here’s what we do.”
Liverpool went into the game with a 3-0 advantage extracted in the first leg, but City piled the pressure on immediately when Gabriel Jesus scored inside two minutes.
Which paved the way for 45 minutes of dominance of the hosts, but after Bernardo Silva crashed into a pole and Leroy Sané, the goal was disallowed for offside incorrectly, with the ball coming to him from Liverpool James Milner – frustration boiled over late in the half.
City boss PEP Guardiola had to drag his players from the judges at his own expense assist Antonio during the break, but he was sent to the stands for his protests, and at that moment the tide seemed to turn.
Liverpool was more composed after the break when Mohamed Salah scored his 39th of the season 11 minutes of the half, the letter was on the wall for the city, which then had to score four.
Cool to finish Roberto Firmino 13 minutes from the end wrapped things.
Guardiola felt the city was on the wrong end of some bad decisions that he felt Raheem sterling is denied a penalty for a challenge Andy Robertson.
“I said that he (the judge) was wrong,” said Guardiola, when asked about his dismissal.
“I did not insult him. I just said it was a penalty and it was a goal.
“The ball (for the sane) out of (James) Milner. He said, ‘from Milner he come from?’. – Yes, Milner’.
“When it comes to Milner this is not offside, and we go half 2-0. Two-nil against this team is a little different.
“In this kind of games in these competitions, the impact is so great.”
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
