Klopp Proud In Defeat

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was pleased with his side’s performance as they lost the Community Shield on penalties to Manchester City. The Reds took the Premier League champions all the way at Wembley on Sunday in what the perfect curtain-raiser for the new season.

City opened the scoring through Raheem Sterling from close range and Liverpool had to wait until the final 15 minutes to grab an equaliser. Sterling wasted a great chance for his and City’s second after the break but he delayed his shot when clean through, before Virgil van Dijk rattled the crossbar, just before Mohamed Salah hit the post for the Reds as well.

Joel Matip eventually drew Liverpool level after heading home Van Dijk’s cross but neither side could find a winner in normal time. Salah thought he had but a dramatic clearance from Kyle Walker forced the game into a penalty shootout. Georginio Wijnaldum was the only man to miss his spot-kick as Claudio Bravo saved his effort well.

Despite the setback, Klopp was pleased with his team’s display with just a week to go until the new season. He told BT Sport: “Wow, it was a really good performance, a powerful one in the second half. Both teams had a similar pre-season. I spoke to Kevin de Bruyne after the game and we both said we don’t really know where we are yet.

“The least we deserved was the equaliser, one save decided it and I cannot be disappointed today. The performance was much more important than a win. We know we are still here, we can still play proper football.”