Klopp comments on Keita sub during Liverpool loss to Real Madrid

manager

Jurgen Klopp

stated that

Naby Keita

was removed in the first half of the 3-1 defeat at Spain due to tactical reasons. The Reds manager gave the Guinean his ninth start of the campaign in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final.

During the end of the first half, when Liverpool were down 2-0, Klopp admitted that replacing Keita for Thiago Alcantara was a mistake.

"

If you want to go to the semi-final, you have to earn the right to do so,"

Klopp told 

 post-match.

"We didn't do that tonight, especially in the first half. The only good thing I can say, apart from the goal, is it's only the first half of the tie."

About Keita’s substitution, Klopp added:

"Yeah, it was tactical. These are the things I don’t like in the job. You do that and it’s like one player is responsible for the performance in the first half.

"Naby was not responsible for that. He didn’t play for a while, especially not from the start. Naby was not good in the game, but to be honest I could have made a few more changes in that moment.

"It was not about Naby, but I did it and now I’m not happy about it because we talk like it’s Naby’s responsibility. It was not. It was tactical."

Mohamed Salah gave the Reds a glimmer of hope by meeting the back of the net in the second half, but they have plenty to do if they aim to reach the semi-finals.

Klopp’s side have a track record of memorable comebacks in the Champions League as they were defeated 3-0 by Barcelona two years ago but showed off a thumping 4-0 victory in the second leg that helped them go to the final.

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