Jurgen Klopp refuses to underestimate Maribor despite odds being in his favour

Posted Wednesday, November 01, 2017 by PA

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists he will never underestimate teams no matter how much the odds are in his side's favour.

After thrashing Maribor 7-0 in the Champions League a fortnight ago his team are expected to complete another routine victory over the Slovenians in the return fixture at Anfield.

However, Klopp referred to a lesson learned from German football history as reason why Liverpool cannot afford any complacency on Wednesday as they try to take a decisive step towards qualification from Group E.

It may not quite be on the same level but the Reds boss highlighted the 1954 World Cup final, a famous moment in his country's sporting past, as an important reference point.

The much-fancied Hungary, featuring Ferenc Puskas and Sandor Kocsis, beat the then West Germany team 8-3 in the group stages, only for the Germans to exact revenge in the final as they came from 2-0 down after eight minutes to win 3-2.

Such was the achievement it was made into a 2003 film The Miracle of Bern. Liverpool, of course, have their own miracle - the one in Istanbul in 2005 - and Klopp is well aware that things sometimes do not always go to plan.

"I am from Germany so I know in 1954 we lost against Hungary in the group stage really clear then won the World Cup final," he said.

"Nobody would have expected that. That's football. That is how I learned it pretty early in my life. It's always possible. It's all about our performance.

"We have to use the little advantage of being the home team, using the crowd, being spot on again.

"We did so well in Maribor at the end it looked like a big difference but it was only because of our start. We have to do that again."

Since that 7-0 hammering, Maribor have won their last two matches and are behind PrvaLiga leaders Olimpija Ljubljana - coached by former Liverpool midfielder Igor Biscan - on goal difference only.

Maribor have won only one of their nine previous matches against English teams, beating Wigan 2-1 in the 2013/14 UEFA Europa League group stage. They have lost on all four visits to England, with their most recent in 2014/15 ending in a 6-0 defeat to Chelsea.