Fabinho says the Reds squad are feeling ‘relaxed’ ahead of the Champions League group stage draw which will take place this evening – because they are confident that they will progress no matter who they face.
Whoever the champions of Europe are drawn against, their opponents will be more scared of them than the other way around. Having seen off the likes of PSG, Bayern Munich and Barcelona last season, no one will strike fear into Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Speaking to LiverpoolFC.com, Fabinho said: “The Champions League is a special competition and we’re the reigning champions, so there’s always going to be a lot of expectation about who we’re going to come up against. We’re relaxed about it.
“We’re fully aware that when we return from this international break there will be a more intense fixture schedule with midweek games, but that’s good – we like it.
“As we’re the reigning champions, all the other teams are going to focus much more on us, they’ll know more about our team. We’re excited about this season’s competition. We know how strong the team is and, as always, we have to work hard and with confidence.”
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It would be nice to get a relatively straightforward draw – with not too much travelling involved – in order to progress quickly and then be able to focus solely on the Premier League, but whoever the Reds are selected alongside, the only thing that matters really is reaching the knockout stages.
Last season, it was PSG, Napoli and Red Star Belgrade. Now the Reds are in pot one, PSG are not a possibility, but the other two clubs could be coming to Anfield once again. The draw takes place at 5pm BST this evening.