Jurgen Klopp: Liverpool ‘ready to suffer’ at Villarreal to reach European final

Manager Jurgen Klopp believes Liverpool have to be “ready to suffer” against Villarreal in order to get through their Champions League semi-final second leg in Spain.

The Reds hold a 2-0 lead from last week’s first leg as they look to book their third final in five seasons, but Klopp has warned his players they must prepare themselves for a difficult night at El Madrigal.

“With all these things during the season, obviously with the situation we are in, we must have done something right, that is clear,” said the German, whose side have lost only three times in all competitions this term and, since the turn of the year, have been behind for only 69 minutes in total.

“But the problem in our job is everything’s perfect until the next game starts on the wrong foot and all of a sudden the game gets a different dynamic.

“It is good to know – and it is more a feeling inside, not that we are flying constantly and high-fiving here and there – we are in a good moment.

“But my only concern is what we do (on Tuesday) night and we have to be ready to suffer but not going 1-0 down or whatever – that can happen in football matches – but giving the game the right direction.

“Let’s think they have the first shot on target, crowd goes up, each challenge, crowd goes up and that is how it is.

“A good example was Newcastle (Liverpool’s 1-0 away win in Premier League on Saturday); the crowd was obviously very passionate but we did not let it happen, which was the biggest quality of this game.

“It was not a show of football brilliance or whatever. We had our moments and of course could have scored more goals. But how clear-cut the performance was – that was incredible and that is what we have to be.

“Yes, emotional. Yes, ready to play the best