Liverpool will not get too arrogant ahead of a potentially season-defining clash with Real Madrid in the Champions League, although there is no doubt that two wins in a row will have done wonders for confidence.
Jurgen Klopp’s men are notably the only team to have beaten Newcastle in the Premier League (the Magpies’ last defeat was against the Reds), with Virgil van Dijk suggesting the feat came down to a matter of mentality.
“There is a reason why we are the only team so far this season to have beaten them,” the Dutchman told Sky Sports.
“I am very proud of the boys. Now it’s time for recovery, quick recovery and then we focus on Real Madrid.
“Obviously, it’s a bit…I won’t say a mind game, but when you’re playing against 10 men, sometimes carelessness creeps in, because you have a little bit more of the ball.
“You play a lot of passes and you have to try to do the same things but it’s difficult.
“We can analyze what we want, but we have had a difficult season so far and to win here, to be the only team to beat them this season, we can be proud of. We take it and move on and hopefully, step by step, we move on with the good performances.”
The Merseysiders’ latest win puts them eighth in the top-flight table, cutting the gap to Eddie Howe’s men to six points (with one game remaining).
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It’s a rosy picture overall in the league, though we imagine the manager will be more excited about the potential return of his team’s elite approach, which once inspired him to call his squad ‘mindset monsters’.
Taking on the Champions League holders, we’ll need all the lethality displayed in the first 45 minutes of action at St. James’ Park to emerge unscathed, but progressing to the quarter-finals could depend entirely on how we mentally approach the accessory.
If we manage to secure another win against Los Blancos, the potential boost we will receive cannot be overlooked in a season in which we have struggled to put together a run of positive results.
You can watch the clip below, courtesy of Sky Sports:
“Starting to look like a Liverpool team” ⏳
Liverpool duo Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold reflect on a ‘massive’ win against Newcastle ???? pic.twitter.com/JRBSbIgY9S
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 18, 2023
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