Liverpool 3-0 Stuttgart: Jürgen Klopp's reaction
Jürgen Klopp declared himself 'very happy' with Liverpool's display in their 3-0 victory over VfB Stuttgart in Austria on Saturday.
The Reds opened up their 2020-21 pre-season programme with a convincing win against the Bundesliga outfit thanks to goals from Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita and Rhian Brewster.
Firmino opened the scoring inside the first quarter of an hour before then delivering an exquisite assist for Keita's finish.
Klopp opted to field an entirely different XI following the half-time interval and Brewster then added the third from close range in the 68th minute.
Read on for the boss' post-match interview with Liverpoolfc.com...
On his thoughts about the game...
I'm very happy, very happy. It was a super intense session for us today because the weather, wow, it rained like crazy, the pitch was really difficult – you could see the water was still on the pitch. That makes football games always tricky. Good organised opponent obviously but we scored nice goals and for me most important was that we felt 45 minutes [of] football is different to a 90-minute session, because in sessions you make breaks, drinks break. Here is no break, so you just have to go through. That was the most important thing to do today and the boys did it, they felt the intensity of the game – very good. Tomorrow we do a little bit less, Monday two sessions, Tuesday is Salzburg, interesting. So, it's all good. I think Ki-Jana rolled the ankle a little bit but apart from that they all should be fine, which is obviously very important.
Watch: Liverpool 3-0 Stuttgart in 90 seconds
On the performances of goalscorers Keita, Firmino and Brewster...
How we made the goals, I would say that was absolutely exceptional. Obviously Taki is in pretty good shape, Kostas showed some nice glimpses of his talent. We know we have good boys here and that looked well. Curtis first half [was] obviously around the goals, Harvey hard-working until the end, Rhian could have shot here, but they look really promising. How I said, they had to work today and that's what they did, so I'm fine with the performance.
On Kostas Tsimikas' debut…
Good, good. He is a pretty quick player and pretty confident, how you will hear in his [post-match] interview, but he is a good player – a really good player – and he did well. The next challenge for him is now to get used to our defending and things. It will take time, no doubt, but when he has the ball it looks not so bad.
On the remainder of the Reds' Austrian training camp…
Tomorrow a little bit less intensity [in training] but more important things, Monday two sessions and Tuesday, we drive to Salzburg so I am not sure – we probably cannot train in the morning, so we will only play the game. It will be a tough one, Salzburg – every year they find exciting players from all over the world. I am excited to see them all because the style they play is clear. It will be pretty intense. I hope it will not rain that much; I have no problem with rain, but you always have to adjust and judge the situation differently. I think it will be better and then it is all fine.
Watch highlights from the 3-0 win over Stuttgart and exclusive content from the Reds' Austria training camp on LFCTV GO.
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