Klopp tells players to focus on Stoke as the prospect of an all-Merseyside final looms large

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There hasn’t been an all-Merseyside final since the 1989 FA Cup final.

We beat Everton 3-2 after extra time that day, with goals from John Aldridge and Ian Rush (x2) delivering us the title. It all paled into insignificance, however, with the game taking place less than five weeks after the Hillsborough disaster, which ultimately claimed the lives of 96 fans.

We had a semi-final against them under King Kenny in 2012, but there hasn’t been a show-piece game in more than 25 years.

All that could be set to change this week. We hold a 1-0 lead over Stoke in our semi-final, while Everton lead Man City 2-1 after their first leg at Goodison.

The city is drooling at the prospect, but Klopp has told his players to keep their feet firmly on the ground.

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“Going to Wembley is the best thing you can do in football. Who the opponent is at this moment is not the biggest issue, but if it is Everton we want to beat them. If it is Man City we want to beat them. First of all we have to beat Stoke and then we can talk about the rest,” he said. (via Echo)

He admitted the game would be a great occasion, however:

“I am the wrong person to ask this but everyone in the city knows about the rivalry of these two clubs”

“Until now when I’ve met an Evertonian, nobody has knocked me, nobody kicked me. It’s always nice. Nothing happened.”

“It is one of the best rivalries in world football because in a lot of parts we are together but in sport we are against. That’s cool and how it should be.”

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