Klopp: 'Liverpool deserved to lose'

France coach Jurgen Klopp admitted Liverpool did not play as well as expected in a 2-3 defeat at Toulouse in the fourth round of Group E of the Europa League.

"Liverpool deserved to lose because Toulouse won many decisive battles," Klopp said after the match. "We had too many situations where we should have won the ball but we didn't. On top of that, we conceded at least two easy goals. Defensively, that was not good enough."

Klopp also regretted that Liverpool almost drew 3-3 and took a point. According to him, if it had happened, it would not have made Liverpool better, but it would have given them a more comfortable feeling in the overall table. "That's what happened, so we have to accept it. And like I said, Liverpool deserved to lose."

Coach Klopp in Liverpool's 2-3 loss at Toulouse in the fourth round of Group E of the Europa League on November 9. Photo: Liverpool FC — Coach Klopp in Liverpool's 2-3 loss at Toulouse in the fourth round of Group E of the Europa League on November 9. Photo: *Liverpool FC*

Klopp also said that Liverpool's defense was too deep, exposing many loopholes and creating conditions for the opponent to counterattack. He did not accept the players conceding two goals with the same scenario.

However, Klopp is not pessimistic about the style of play and the players. He believes that the team needs to change and will definitely do so.

Liverpool got the first goal back, thanks to a Cristian Casseres own goal in the 74th minute. But just two minutes later, Frank Magri fired a close-range shot to make it 3-1 for Toulouse. In addition to the three goals, the home team also had two shots disallowed.

Liverpool rose up at the end of the match. In the 89th minute, after a breakthrough in the middle, Jota reduced the score to 2-3. The score could have been 3-3, if Jarell Quansah had been recognized for a goal in the extra time. VAR decided that in the assist, Alexis Mac Allister touched the ball with his hand.

The defeat to Toulouse means Liverpool will miss out on a place in the Europa League knockout stages with two games to spare. Klopp's side still lead Group E with nine points after four games, but are just two points clear of Toulouse. Liverpool will need to play well in their final two games to secure their place and stay in first place. The group winners will qualify directly for the round of 16. Meanwhile, the second-placed side will have to play a play-off against the third-placed teams in the Champions League group stage.

Thanh Quy (according to LFC )

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