Emre Can has issued a firm statement of intent following Liverpool’s promising performance in Saturday’s 0-0 stalemate with Manchester United.
The German is sensing a return to form for the Reds and believes Tuesday’s trip to face Maribor in the Champions League can be the stepping stone they need.
Can and his teammates were much-improved against Jose Mourinho’s men, but saw a spirited and dominant display come to no avail against a packed defence.
As far as the midfielder is concerned, there are no excuses in midweek.
“We have to win that game because we dominated for 90 minutes. I think we had good chances and United had one shot on target with Lukaku,” he told SFR Sport.
“It’s the same story like before the international break but we have to go again on Tuesday because I think it’s just a small, small step and then we will come in the right direction again.”
“It’s too early [to make judgements], nothing is over yet and we have to believe in ourselves. We have to win the next game.”
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There’s no arguing with that.
Entering the game on the back of draws with Sevilla and Spartak Moscow, the Reds need a win to not only strengthen their position in Group E, but also to bring their Champions League campaign to life.
The draw at home to United continued a trend that has seen Liverpool create plenty of great chances, but fail to convert at the crucial moment.
A breathtaking rout is long overdue at Anfield. With the missed goalscoring opportunities bulking up, it remains to be a matter of time before the Reds dish out a harsh lesson.