Our attitude was outstanding – Klopp hails Liverpool after progression

Jurgen Klopp was impressed with his players’ attitude as Liverpool booked their Champions League quarter-final place with a 0-0 draw against Porto at Anfield.

The hosts were some way off their scintillating recent Premier League form, but it hardly mattered after their 5-0 first-leg win all-but secured a first appearance in the last eight for nine years.

That first-leg cushion enabled Klopp to make five changes to the side that beat Newcastle United 2-0 on Saturday, with talismanic forward Mohamed Salah dropping to the bench for Adam Lallana, who was making his first start in two months. 

Despite their failure to score, Klopp admits he was happy with the application of his players.

He told BT Sport: “I think in the end the boys did really well, it’s all okay.

“The attitude was outstanding. We worked really hard in decisive moments.

Who would you like #LFC to face in the #UCL quarter-finals?

 Potential opponents 

Real Madrid
Man City or Basel
Tottenham or Juventus
Barcelona or Chelsea
Bayern Munich or Besiktas
Roma or Shakhtar
Man United or Sevilla#UCL QF draw will take place on Friday 16th March. pic.twitter.com/DIGxaLkoUI

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 6, 2018

“It was not the most exciting game but we controlled it and had a few chances.

“It’s pretty rare to have a game like this, but we did a wonderful job. We had to be serious and we were, it’s all good.”

In addition to Lallana’s return to the starting XI, Danny Ings was introduced for the last half-hour. The former Burnley forward was denied a first-ever Champions League goal late on by a smart Iker Casillas save – a chance that Klopp concedes he should have buried.

He added: “Adam needed a few minutes – it was very important for him to play that long.

“Ings knows he could have scored. Normally he would in those situations, but unfortunately, he couldn’t score.”