Milner believes Liverpool can win this year’s Europa League
As the draw was made for this year’s Europa League quarter-finals last month, if there was a single team everybody wanted to avoid it was undoubtedly Borussia Dortmund. So it was almost a certainty that Borussia Dortmund were the team that Liverpool were going to receive in the draw.
But what’s done is done, and any team that has designs on lifting the trophy at the end of the current season was probably going to have to knock Jurgen Klopp’s former side anyway. Victory over the German giants would no doubt see Liverpool replace them as big favourites for the competition.
And Liverpool deputy James Milner says that the players are keen to win the trophy to show how far they’ve progressed. Speaking to Liverpoolfc.com, Milner said: “The Europa League seems to be getting stronger every year and you can see that by the level of teams still left in it.
“Obviously we had Manchester United in the last round, they’ll be hoping they’re a Champions League side next season as well, and that’s where we want to be ultimately.
“If you ask anyone, if you’ve got a chance to win a European trophy then the Europa League is a great competition to be in.
“At times it seems long and you’re going to a lot of different places but it’s a massive tournament to win and if we can do that this year it’d be a great achievement.
“The best teams stand in your way so for us to go to Dortmund it’ll be a massive start on the road.
“We’ve put ourselves in a good position, we’ve done the hard work, and you can see the end of the tournament. It’s important that we finish strongly.”
With just 8 teams remaining, the Reds have come much further in a European competition than they have in years, and much of that is down to the man in charge since October, bringing his managerial experience, and knowledge of European football.
One of major advantages Liverpool will have going into the tie against Dortmund too, is that Jurgen Klopp will know the majority of the players the team will face inside out. And while Dortmund’s style may have changed somewhat, the personnel haven’t and that could be a key factor if the Reds are to look to come through the tie as winners.
Is the Europa League now Liverpool’s priority and, importantly, a winnable competition? Let us know your thoughts below.
