Phil Thompson has claimed that Liverpool will be disappointed if they don’t make it to the Champions League semi-finals.
The Sky Sports pundit admits there will be a massive expectation surrounding Anfield this season, and Reds’ fans will already be looking towards the final that will take place in Istanbul before a ball has been kicked in the group stage.
Speaking to Sporting Life, Thompson believed that Jurgen Klopp’s men will not have to be perfect in the group stage, but that any club will fear playing them in a two-leg knockout tie further in the competition given their recent record.
“The expectation grips you, people are already thinking about Istanbul in nine months’ time,” he said.
“The group stages have not been 100 per cent perfect, but nobody wants to play Liverpool in a two-leg knockout. The expectation is massive and I think if they were not to get to the semi-final then it would be a disappointment.”
Thompson then went on the back the Reds to win back-to-back Champions League titles, predicting that Manchester City, Barcelona, and Paris Saint-Germain will challenge them.
“I would like to think Manchester City and Liverpool will be there. I also think PSG and Barcelona will make up the other two spots. I wouldn’t bet against Liverpool.”
OPINION
Liverpool will be going into the defence of their Champions League success expecting nothing less than to get to the final and win their seventh trophy in the competition. Reds’ fans will also have amazing memories from last season to fuel their ambitions, and Klopp will want his side to take that with them and set a marker against Napoli on Tuesday night. A win against the Italian side will send a message to the rest of the competition and let them know that they are ready to do whatever it takes to go all the way once more. Finishing as runners-up the year before they won the Champions League against Real Madrid was the ultimate motivation for the Reds, and now they have eventually put their hands on the trophy once more, they will not want to lose that feeling. The only way to continue that momentum is to go all the way once again, and Klopp will certainly be expecting nothing less.
