Liverpool 2-1 Ludogoret
Liverpool win through a last gasp penalty by Stephen Gerrald after Mario Balloteli’s opener in the 82nd minute is leveled by Dani Abalo. In the added minutes of the game Javi Manquillo is brought down by Milan Borjan and the chance gives Liverpool the winner. Rodgers:
We are still a work in progress but in this tournament you need to win your home games and we did that. Mario’s goal will give him confidence, he worked hard for the team tonight but at half-time I told him to get into the box more. That’s where we need him.
West Ham 3-1 Liverpool
West Ham win at home against Liverpool with goals from Winston Reid in the 2nd minute, Diafra Sakho in the 7th. Morgan Amalfitano seals the win two minutes to the end of the game. Liverpool manage to get one back through Raheem Sterling in the 26th minute. Alladyce:
To score two goals in that early period really stunned the Liverpool players. We really took them to task. We played outstandingly well and really didn’t let Liverpool play at all.
Says European absence no big advantage
Klopp plays down the advantages of Liverpool’s absence from Europe this season. The side is currently level on points with Manchester City and Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table and, along with fourth-placed Chelsea, will not have to play any Champions League or Europa League football this season.
I’m not sure but 80 percent to 90 percent [of the time] in Europe, the team that is champion is playing in the Champions League. Why is that? Ah, because they have quality! Right, because they play good football, they can rotate and rest whenever. It’s not too cool when you’re not successful but when you are successful, you take it to the next game, you have a possibility to rotate and all that stuff because you have a big squad — we cannot rotate that much. It’s different things. Sometimes it is an advantage [not having Europe] but why so often does a team win the league with all these intense games in midweek? Maybe you’ll find an answer for this.