Jurgen Klopp described as "slapstick" the nature with which Liverpool missed chances against Inter Milan on Tuesday night. Liverpool lost the game 1-0 but go through to the next round of the Champions League with a 2-1 aggregate win.
Inter are the first team to win at Anfield in 29 games. Fulham, a year ago, had been the last previous winners.
"The art of football is to lose the right games," said Klopp after his side progressed to the Champions League quarter-finals for the fourth time in five seasons.
"I still hate it but if there was any game we could have afforded to lose it was this one because the main target of this competition is to get through.
"It’s not that I am here over the moon. I’m really happy we went through, because when we saw the draw it was ‘OK, that’s a tough one’, but we went through over two legs and I think we deserved it.
"We had some problems in the game tonight. One is the quality of the opponent. They are a really good football team.
“It’s a big ‘if’ but if we had used our chances from set-pieces and other situations - it was a bit slapstick how we missed the chances - in the end we could still have won the game.
“But the only thing I’m interested in is it is fair we are through.”
Sanchez sees 𝗿𝗲𝗱 🇨🇱🔴
The Chilean could barely pick himself up after being sent off for Inter at Anfield #UCL pic.twitter.com/l1LvqSbojb
— Watch the UCL on LiveScore 🇮🇪 (@LiveScoreIE) March 8, 2022
Inter took the lead through Lautaro Martinez in the 62nd minute, but moments later were reduced to 10 players when Alexis Sanchez was sent off after being shown a second yellow card for a foul on Fabinho.
Klopp: Alexis 'lucky' not to see red in first half
"I don’t understand why we have to discuss that," Klopp said about any doubts regarding the red card.
"If you can win the ball only by putting yourself in a position to endanger the opponent then you don’t win the ball.
"If Fab goes in with the same intention, like with a long leg, then both players get injured. Fab is there because he judged the ball, 'If he's not flying in, then I will get it'.
"In the end [Alexis Sanchez] can't stop, and he hit Fab in a really bad way. He was quite lucky that he didn't get a different colour [card] in the first half with the foul on Thiago with a leg that high against the knee. It was a similar situation.
"Passion is good, but if it leads to these kinds of situations, it doesn't help."
🚀🚀🚀
What a hit from Lautaro Martinez to give Inter the lead at Anfield! 👏#UCL pic.twitter.com/ICipQJttiS
— Watch the UCL on LiveScore 🇮🇪 (@LiveScoreIE) March 8, 2022
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