Origi wants 'full power' at Anfield as Reds strive for Wembley
Divock Origi has called for 'full power' at Anfield tonight as Liverpool seek to overturn a narrow deficit and reach the EFL Cup final at Southampton's expense.
The Reds head into the second leg of their last-four tie in need of a comeback after Nathan Redmond gave the Saints a 1-0 victory in the first meeting at St Mary’s a fortnight ago.
A 3-2 defeat to Swansea City on Saturday represented a first home loss in nearly a year for Jürgen Klopp’s side, but Origi sees this evening as a chance to bounce back quickly from that disappointing result.
“It’s a very good opportunity and it’s an important game for us,” the striker told Liverpoolfc.com.
“Obviously we lost in Southampton so now we’ll go full power into this game, and we’re sure that we can have a great night.”
LFCTV GO: Origi eyes another memorable Anfield night
Liverpool have twice drawn a blank against the Saints this season, with the defeat at St Mary’s earlier this month being preceded by a 0-0 Premier League draw on the south coast in November.
Origi is in no doubt that Claude Puel’s team will once again provide tough opposition - but he is hopeful that home advantage could tip the balance of a finely-poised tie in the Reds’ favour.
“I think they’re a very good team. They have a lot of qualities and they play very intensive football, attacking football, so it will be on us to find a solution,” the Belgium international said.
“We’ll have to see what the staff think because every game is different, but I definitely think that we have the tools to break down this game.
“[We need to] play our football, be well organised and of course follow the instructions of the staff and the boss - and I think those are the main keys. With the crowd behind us, it will be a good night.”
Having already experienced some unforgettable moments under the Anfield floodlights during his 18 months at the club, Origi explained just how crucial a role the home fans could play tonight.
“It can be massive. On the pitch you really feel the support that the people have, their passion,” he said.
“If you can combine [that with] our passion, the boss’ passion, everybody has a big, big heart, so if you can put it into this game, then I think nobody can stop us.
“We all know that we’ve had some special nights before and we will have some special nights at Anfield, so it’s a big, big support and like I said, together we can for sure win this game.”
However, Origi - who broke the deadlock late on in back-to-back home wins over Sunderland and Leeds United in November - stressed the need for patience both on and off the pitch.
“Every game is different so we have to find solutions and in a game you can score in the first minute, the 90th minute, extra-time, it can go to penalties, so you have to be prepared for everything,” he added.
“Of course we’ll do everything to try to dominate the game as soon as possible, but in football you never know. The supporters have seen a lot of great results in Liverpool, so they have an idea of what it can be, and the players and staff also.”
This evening’s match is the first of three crucial games at Anfield in the space of six days, with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea also visiting L4 before the end of January.
But Origi is looking no further ahead than the task of overcoming the Saints.
“I think you have to look at it game by game,” the No.27 said.
“Of course you can have highs and lows and in football everything can go very quick, so the most important thing for me is to focus on every game and if you do that, and if you can manage to maximise every game, then of course you have good results in the end.
“So I think that’s the most important thing - to go step by step.”