During his time at Westfalenstadion, Jurgen Klopp made a habit of upsetting the odds. Be it against the domestic powerhouse Bayern Munich or the regional Powers Real Madrid, Klopp maintained his habit of upsetting the bookmakers.
On Thursday, when he went back to Germany with his new employers, Liverpool, Klopp reiterated his habit once again.
To say that it was a tactical masterclass from Jurgen Klopp wouldn’t be an understatement. After all, they were facing a team that have outscored Bayern Munich in the League.
However, as evident from the substitution of Aubameyang in the latter stages of the game, Liverpool went to Germany with a plan and it worked for them.
Many of us predicted that Dortmund will simply blow Liverpool apart on Thursday. The fears of Liverpool fans regarding this fixture compounded after a dismal performance against Tottenham.
The defensive demons were back and Liverpool looked vulnerable ahead of their season-defining fixture. Add a free-scoring team like Dortmund and it seemed to be a perfect recipe for disaster for Liverpool.
However, as evident by a 1-1 scoreline that is now in front of us, The Reds now have an upper hand in this fixture. But if Liverpool could gauge anything from their performances of this season, it is that the inconsistency is their biggest limitation.
On Sunday, Jurgen Klopp will have to manage another problem that he has encountered in his first season at Liverpool: Inconsistency.
At their day, Liverpool will blow your house away, however, when the wind is blowing against them – as has been the case for the majority of this season, this Liverpool squad has the uncanny ability to fell apart like cards.
Thus, before they dream of a Semifinal of the Europa League, a stern test at home against a vigilant Stoke City side awaits for Liverpool.
While they have played 2 more games than Liverpool, the fact that Stoke are going into this game with a 2 point lead over Liverpool indicates how far the Potters have come under Mark Hughes.
Liverpool will welcome back the likes of Sturridge and Firmino after the duo made a brief appearance against Dortmund. Other than that, it will be the absences of Henderson and Emre Can that is a notable factor. The Liverpool Captain suffered a groin injury against Dortmund amid fears that this season might well be over for him. As for Can, he will be serving a 2-game suspension.
Here is how Liverpool are expected to lineup …
