Jurgen Klopp in bullish mood ahead of Atalanta tie

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is adamant his team can and will perform better against Atalanta tomorrow, as the Reds look to keep their European dreams alive.

Jurgen Klopp and Alisson Becker have given their pre-match press conference ahead of tomorrow night's game against Atalanta, with the Reds boss confident his team can handle Atalanta's style of play, and cause the Italian team plenty of problems on the night.

Liverpool, of course, are 3 - 0 down from the first leg at Anfield last week, but Klopp insists the result had more to do with his own player's failings, rather than Atalanta's style of play.

Asked whether he expects Atalanta to play with the same man-marking system, 

"We played four years ago against Atalanta and they played like this, but the result was different here. Man-marking is not the problem – they did really well, but we did not do well. Yes, we didn't win against [Manchester] United but we created I don't know how many chances and they play man-marking so that's not the problem. We have to do better, we have to do better. We played, in these moments, to their cards but that's not to change anymore, it is just the description of the game. Specific runs we did not often enough that night would have caused them more problems, but tomorrow the game is even more difficult because they don't have to score at all and I don't know exactly what they want to do."

"But it is not easy to approach a game when you are 3-0 up. We had that in the past, when we won here in Bergamo 5-0, at home it was not easy to find the right mood for that game and in the end we lost 2-0 I think. It's really not simple because usually you fight for everyone and how do you want to fight tomorrow when you are 3-0 up? That's really not easy for them as well, so we will see who deals better with the situation and all these kind of things. If Atalanta go through, congratulations and they deserve it, and if not then something special probably would have happened but I don't know in this moment if that is possible."

Klopp also reiterated how important the Europa League remains to Liverpool this season,

"One hundred percent. We are here. I am long enough in this business to know it is two legs and it is over when it's over. As far as I know, we are still allowed to play tomorrow so that is what we will try, that means it has our 100,000 percent focus. We are only here for one reason – I am pretty sure this is a wonderful region but we did not even look [at it]. We are only here for playing football, that's what I can say. But I cannot win this game in this press conference today, that's why I am not really interested in what you are asking and what I am answering as well because the main part is obviously when I leave this room, finally, it starts. But we are 100 percent focused."

Asked if he will say anything special to his players before the game tomorrow night,

"What I remember from that time [against Barcelona] is I usually don't prepare these kind of things like that, especially not a day before or four years before or whatever. What I will say to the boys I will think about tomorrow, but definitely, nothing about these kinds of things were said in the press conference before. I remember I said if we fail then let's fail in the most beautiful way – and that's exactly how I see it again. But, I said it already, we want to win the game – and if we want to win the game then we better play good. If we play good we have a chance to win it and then we will see. It is exactly like that."

"What I said after the game [last week] as well: directly after the game, everybody in the stadium in Liverpool – the Liverpool supporters, the Atalanta supporters, players and our staff – thought that's it. But now it is a week later and I don't think everybody thinks it is already decided. We are here and we can be good, but obviously, we can be not so good as well so let's see what we can put on the pitch tomorrow. My team meeting will not happen in front of the world here in the press conference, it will happen there and if we win the players will find a reason to tell the world what I said, and if we lose nobody will want to hear what I said. That's it."

Check back with LFC - Back On Our Perch tomorrow for the confirmed team news and match report, as Liverpool looks to create another piece of history, and keep their season alive.

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