Klopp:  We must not allow players' confidence  to be diminished 

Klopp:  We must not allow players' confidence  to be diminished 

Liverpool's manager Klopp confirmed that Real Madrid had qualified for the quarter-finals of the European Champions League, after losing his big team 5-2, before the second leg match scheduled for March 15th. Klopp said in the press conference would later say that his mood may yet change in three weeks’ time when Liverpool travels to Spain to try to achieve one of the most historic comebacks in European football history on March 15. This was Liverpool’s worst home defeat in European football and leaves them facing an early exit from the last competition they might really be able to win this last season.
When told that Carlo Ancelotti, the Real manager, had not dismissed the possibility of a Liverpool comeback, Klopp said: “I think Carlo thinks the tie is over and I think it as well, at the moment. But the closer you get to the game, the bigger our chances become. Tonight, winning 5-2, [considering] they are pretty good in counter-attacking and we have to go there and take some risks to score three goals [it is a difficult challenge]. We go there to try and win the game.”
Nevertheless, Klopp said that his team could not allow their confidence at a promising start in which they took a quick two-goal lead through Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah, to be diminished. “We gave all five goals away,” he said. “It means we could have done better there. In our situation, it is really important we see positive steps and the first half was, besides the two goals we conceded, pretty much the best we played all season. The second goal was slapstick.”
He said: “I can see that people think that [losing confidence] is understandable but that is absolutely not allowed. I told the boys that this is a result of the opposite of what we wanted but a defeat is a defeat. If you don’t learn from it, and if you don’t learn the start was outstanding and was us in a nutshell [it would be a mistake].
“So if we allow this one game to be influential we are really silly. We have a few days when I will make sure we take the right things. Yes, we have a few things to improve, especially on the third goal [from Militao], massively. The first goal [from Vinicius] massively. But the intensity, the effort we showed, and the football were like everything we want to see. So we have to make sure we keep that. [A] 5-2 [result] could be damaging but I have to make sure that is not happening.”
"In our situation, it is really important we see positive steps and the first half was, besides the two goals we conceded, pretty much the best we played all season. The second goal was slapstick."
"To not even have a chance, to not show any fight after the goals go in, and to lose that second half 3-0 when you're attacking the Kop at 2-2 in a knockout game -- absolutely shambolic. I'm talking about defensively shambolic all season."
Jürgen Klopp felt mistakes cost Liverpool after they ceded a two-goal lead and lost 5-2 to Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie. Nevertheless, Klopp said that his team could not allow their confidence at a promising start in which they took a quick two-goal lead through Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah, to be diminished. “We gave all five goals away,” he said. “It means we could have done better there. In our situation, it is really important we see positive steps and the first half was, besides the two goals we conceded, pretty much the best we played all season. The second goal was slapstick.”