Jurgen Klopp has said Liverpool know they need to show a reaction when they take on Ajax on Tuesday after they produced the “worst game” in the manager’s tenure against Napoli last week.
Liverpool – who reached the Champions League final last season – opened their 2022/23 campaign with a 4-1 humbling in Naples that Klopp ranked below even the 7-2 thrashing suffered at the hands of Aston Villa in October 2020.
Klopp’s side saw their Premier League fixture against Wolves last weekend postponed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, meaning their first opportunity to bounce back from their nightmare start to their European campaign comes at home to the Dutch champions on matchday two.
“We have to show a reaction, we know that,” Klopp said. However, he admitted even an improved performance will not “guarantee a result” against Ajax, who have won all seven of their matches this season, including a 4-0 win at home to Rangers in their opening group game.
“Ajax are, I would say, in the opposite situation [to us],” said Klopp. “They’re again in a really massive rebuild but, no surprise, are doing a really good job.”