You said before the game how much you were looking forward to being back in Europe,
how much of tonight was exactly what you'd hoped for?
Yeah, nearly 100 per cent of course because it was a brilliant game,
very exciting and very entertaining.
With 10 or 15 minutes where we lost a little bit the plot, whatever.
We were not compact enough anymore, we got carried away with our own football,
pretty much, and made it then complicated -
which we shouldn’t have done - in our possession.
Last line slightly too deep; midfield didn’t close the gaps anymore and stuff like this.
So they could pass through, they scored two goals.
In a moment like this, obviously the game can be decided,
but not tonight because we could adjust in half-time and did that.
Played again really good football and scored two wonderful goals, so won the game.
Everyone knew before already but now probably definitely everybody knows:
AC Milan came from Pot 4 in this group - very funny!
So, that’s the quality in the group.
It’s really good that we won this game tonight
because obviously you need each point in this group to get through.
As well as the importance of the result, what about the importance
of being able to manage minutes for some of the players in your squad?
Very important.
It’s really difficult; Virgil van Dijk, everybody who saw him warming up tonight
probably thought, ‘Why is he not playing?’
But we have to be sensible in these moments.
We have these three boys here in the last line who all came back from long-term injuries.
We have to manage that, we can’t do it differently.
Even if they are fit now, which is great.
The others were no big changes, if you want,
Naby Keita started already two or three games this season.
Not sure, did Hendo start the last game?
Probably not, so that was clear he would start.
Played a super game, both of them.
Fabinho had to go through, did that, very important.
Divock Origi - people forget so quick in life and football.
He’s an outstanding striker and did really well tonight,
especially for the long time he didn’t start.
It’s just really difficult to get in this team, to be honest.
That makes sometimes life a little bit uncomfortable.
But he is a great guy and I’m really happy for him he could play like this tonight.
What was your reaction at half-time?
Did you experience all the emotions of a football manager in that first half?
Joy for the first 30 minutes then anger and shock?
No, I wasn’t angry at all, not at all. We saw it coming, actually;
we saw the last five minutes coming in the last 15.
We tried to get the message across, it didn’t work out
because of the outstanding atmosphere in the stadium.
Football-wise, we lost the ball in the wrong moment,
it was absolutely not necessary.
We played so flexible with the triangles on the wings, it was really, really good,
but then we started getting a bit complicated and that was one mistake.
The other mistake was the last line was slightly too deep.
We showed only one picture from the first half where we showed the boys,
‘Here, the last line was too deep.
'Here, midfield, we need a No. 8 who is pushing up in the challenge
'and then the other two have to adapt.’
The way we are organised, Fabinho can pick these balls up -
everybody who plays in that position can pick these balls up -
but if you are not organised then they just pass the ball through the gaps.
I was actually waiting for half-time and I was really happy when the whistle came
and we could solve that.
We sorted it and then we didn’t have that problem anymore.
So I was not angry at all, that’s the job to do.
I cannot celebrate 30 minutes and then for 15 minutes I’m angry or whatever.
It’s just to make sure we have a chance to win the second half -
that’s what we did, and all fine.
Just on Divock, he hadn't even made the bench for the last three games,
is there anything in particular you've seen from him on the training field
that convinced you to put him in tonight?
And what does he have to do now to kick on from here?
Nothing really special.
Divock is a great guy, that’s how it is, and in 10 years’ time when we look back
he will be a Liverpool legend, but he is too young to be already seen as a legend now
so he has to play football.
To be 100 per cent honest, of course I thought he would maybe leave in the summer,
but the football world is a crazy place and people obviously forgot how good he is.
I said it, it is really difficult to get into this team.
That’s just how it is and I have to decide about different positions,
who I bring on, how I want to react before a game.
That’s why Div was not in, he did nothing wrong.
He trains, he gives everything and sometimes you still don’t make it into the squad.
That really can happen, especially when everybody is fit.
But for tonight he was the right player to do it and he did really well.
He was not injured, he had cramps, that’s normal and so now let’s see.
It’s just nice, I’m really happy I could give him the opportunity and that he used it like he did.