Klopp: “Whoever wants to win the UCL will have to beat Madrid and City”

Liverpool’s coach had no complaints about the outcome of this evening’s return leg at the Bernabéu: “The best team went through”.

Jürgen Klopp attended the media after his Liverpool side bowed out of the Champions League, losing Wednesday’s return leg 1-0 and 6-2 on aggregate. As the players exchanged their congratulations and commiserations at the end of the game, Liverpool’s anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone rang out around the ground from the stadium PA - a gesture which summed up the great respect between two clubs who have amassed 20 European crowns between them.

YNWA at the Bernabéu: “I didn’t hear it, they told me about it later. It is a very nice gesture. It’s a great club, it’s very nice to face each other”.

Was it the kind of match you were expecting? “We expected a different type of match. They were very good tonight. They had the best chances. You have to respect your opponent. It has not been the night to achieve the miracle. Allison had to make sensational saves. The one who deserved it the most passed. We have to play better in playoffs”.

Tough night: “Being 5-2 down is obviously not a great result. If you want to go through, you need a really special performance and we couldn’t do that tonight. It was, for moments, an open game tonight, I would say. But Madrid had the better chances, Ali had to make two sensational saves. In the end, the goal was a bit scrappy but it wasn’t a decisive one. So the right team went through. We have to admit that. Madrid controlled the game - we gave them an opportunity to control it. There are 500,000 ways to go out and this was ours tonight”.

Did you talk to Ancelotti about the handballs rule this year and the possible penalty? “I honestly didn’t understand it. I told Carlo and he told me. You’ve seen it on the screen.”

Madrid, the favourites: “Yes, based on their experience, but there are very strong teams. Whoever wants to win the Champions League will have to beat Madrid and Manchester City”.