German coach Jürgen Klopp has urged his team, Liverpool FC, to "raise their level" during a crucial week in the fight for a top-four finish in the Premier League to secure qualification for next season's Champions League. On Wednesday, Liverpool will host Wolverhampton in a postponed match from the seventh round, following a disappointing goalless draw against Crystal Palace last week.
The two victories over Everton and Newcastle, both by 2-0 margins, seemed to restore confidence to the players, but the historic defeat against Spanish side Real Madrid, 2-5 in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16, dealt a significant psychological blow to the club. The loss to Wolverhampton, 0-3 in round 22, reflected the struggles Liverpool is facing after promising a quadruple last season, which ended with just the League Cup and the domestic cup.
Liverpool currently occupies the seventh position in the Premier League with 36 points from two games in hand, trailing fourth-place Tottenham Hotspur, the last Champions League qualifying spot, by nine points, while Klopp aims to turn the situation around in the final 15 matches.
**Klopp's Statements:**
- "It’s 45 points. It would be really a good moment to achieve a winning streak. Yes, you can imagine, that’s exactly what we want to do."
- "It’s an extremely important week. We cannot ignore that. We have two home games. I would like to give the season a little boost this week."
- "We got 7 points from these three games. The last match we drew, and I know I said it’s the same game we played before but without scoring any goal."
- "We have many stories to tell about how things went well in the last few years, with long winning periods and not being beaten at home, etc."
- "History should not hinder us, but we cannot constantly rely on the fact that we have done it before to be able to do it again. We are ready, and if there is a club that can do it, I really believe it is us."
Despite Liverpool's struggles this season, there are similarities to the 2020-2021 season, where they won 8 matches and drew 2 of the last 10 matches to secure Champions League qualification. Klopp received an additional boost of confidence with the return of Uruguayan striker Darwin Núñez, who was absent against Palace due to a shoulder injury, to training on Monday, and he is expected to participate on Wednesday. French center-back Ibrahima Konaté also returned to the squad after a month out due to a hamstring injury.
