Reds central defender Joe Gomez says Liverpool are the team everyone wants to beat this year – but the players are desperate to add more trophies to the cabinet after last season.
Losing the Community Shield a week or so ago at Wembley was not the end of the world, but that too will mean the players will want to win the UEFA Super Cup final on Wednesday just that little bit more.
Speaking to LiverpoolFC.com, Gomez said: “Playing in finals and for silverware is what you aim for throughout the whole season. To have the opportunity is obviously what we want to be here for.
“[The start of the campaign is] a bit more strenuous than usual [with a few more games], but it’s why we’re here and it’s our aim. We’re all enjoying it and soaking it up.”
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Having become European champions in Madrid in June, the Reds are the team everyone wants to beat. That’s always the case, but it’s only been reinforced thanks to the incredible achievement of last season.
Gomez added: “Obviously [European champions is] a label that’s given now that we achieved what we did last season.
“I think the main thing in our minds is that we still see ourselves as underdogs. We still see ourselves as a hungry team that hasn’t achieved what we want to achieve yet.
“There’s still so much more to do and to surpass what we did last season. I think the main thing is that our mindset is in the right place and whatever is said after that is not up to us.”
The Reds are still underdogs in the hunt for the trophy fans want most – the Premier League – but there is no reason to think Manchester City can’t be toppled.
Gomez started ahead of Joel Matip on Friday night, and will be hoping that will continue to be the case in the coming weeks.
There is also the chance for him to play at right-back next to Matip if Trent Alexander-Arnold is left out, which might be something Jurgen Klopp opts for on Wednesday.