Goals from three different Liverpool players propelled Jurgen Klopp’s side 4-1 past Leicester at Anfield’s new-look stadium.
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A trip to face Club Brugge in Europe’s premier competition on Wednesday will still feel slightly surreal for Leicester’s fans, such has been the extraordinary, life-changing nature of the last 12 months. To be fair, center back isn’t Lucas’ preferred position, and this was his first Premier League appearance of the season. but it’s still pretty inexcusable.
First-half goals by Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane put Liverpool 2-0 up, A goal from Jamie Vardy put the Foxes back in the game before half time.
Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri conceded his team were second best. “We had to bring in Lucas (for Dejan Lovren, who sustained a badly bruised eye in training); a great player but the most hard game for a centre-half, especially when you don’t play it 500 times in a row”.
“We were strong physically, flexible, quick, creative”.
“We will take the positives away from the game, if there are any, and look at the negatives”.
Well, in his post-match conference, Klopp made it very clear what he thinks of hearing his name sung during matches.
“But we won’t dwell on this – the gaffer will make sure of that”. Swansea [which Leicester won 2-1] we were good, but we should have closed the game and not let it get so open.
Ranieri attempted to remain positive, however, after another disappointing outing.
“I want to see how we react”.
“I am very happy because we had fantastic support”, he said.
Drinkwater admitted Leicester “didn’t turn up” at Anfield and is eager to step on the pitch again to rectify matters and believes the scale of the Champions League game will help.
Liverpool’s owners, Fenway Sports Group, were in town to visit the new and improved Anfield, which now houses just over 54,000 following the work done to the Main Stand.
Ex-Liverpool defender Phil Babb fears that his former club could lose Sadio Mane in a few years, much like they did Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez.
At half time I told the boys, this is our challenge.
[W] e had to throw [Lucas] in the cold water today.
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‘We were sloppy against Liverpool, ‘ the England midfielder said.
