Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has hailed his attacking players, calling them 'the most potent strike force in Europe' following another seven-goal dismantling in the Champions League on Wednesday night. After already thumping Maribor on Matchday three, the Reds finished their group stage campaign in style putting another seven goals past Russian outfit Spartak Moscow, to ensure they qualified from Group E into the last sixteen.
A hat-trick from stand-in skipper Philippe Coutinho, was followed up by a brace from Sadio Mane and strikes from Roberto Firmino and Mo Salah took Klopp's men's goalscoring feat to 32 goals in 9 games, since they were last defeated by Tottenham in October and the German believes his side will be a threat to any side in the competition saying: “If we perform like this tonight, if we are that clinical, then yes.
If we perform like this then it is obviously a threat, 100 percent.”
The Last Sixteen
After an unbeaten group stage with three wins and three draws, the Reds finished their group in first place, three points above Sevilla, scoring an incredible 23 goals and conceding six in just six outings. Despite their impressive free-scoring start on their return to Europe's main competition, Liverpool could find themselves facing last season's winners Real Madrid and a rejuvenated Bayern Munich in the last sixteen after both sides finished second in their respective groups.
Potentially tricky ties against the likes of Juventus, Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk and Basel all of whom have caused bigger teams problems this season already may face the English side, with Klopp insisting that his side have no fear with the current form of their attacking four.
“There are a lot of really strong teams.
This year is quite special. Not often you can face Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, but Juve and all the others. Antonio Conte said it yesterday, there are no easy opponents but I don’t think anyone is happy when they get us in the draw. We will not be happy when we see who we face in the next round, but we will ready.”
The Return of Premier League Supremacy
After Liverpool's emphatic win, it meant all five English sides that featured in the group stage of the Champions League have set a record in all achieving a place in the knockout stages, leaving the Premier League with hopes of an English winner for the first time since Chelsea's win in 2012 over Bayern Munich, and the former Borussia Dortmund manager believes it could well spark the revival of a dominant era for the Premier League in Europe.
“I could not be less interested in the other teams but it’s quality I think. All the English teams in the Champions’ League are strong squads. We will see where this leads to, but it’s a fact that English football is top quality. I don’t think there are a lot of options for English teams in next round but its good news for English football. International youth teams winning and European Cups, it’s now a normal development.”
