Jurgen Klopp says his Liverpool team must be aware of Nottingham Forest’s counterattacking ability when they visit the City Ground tomorrow.
The Reds travel to the East Midlands looking to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to four points and are fresh off the back of two impressive victories in both domestic cup competitions.
The League Cup champions will potentially be boosted by the return of Darwin Nunez and Dominik Szoboszlai with Klopp confirming that the pair were involved in team training yesterday while Mo Salah is not yet ready to return to action.
Forest currently occupy the final safety spot in the Premier League, four points clear of the drop zone, but our German tactician is aware that his side are in for a proper battle tomorrow.
🗣️Klopp on Nottingham Forest: "Newcastle, Man United, Villa…it's not been easy for teams [at the City Ground] with the counterattacking threat they have. Protection is massive for us. We have to control that part of the game as well." #LFC
— Empire of the Kop (@empireofthekop) March 1, 2024
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are seeking to avoid three straight defeats after losing 4-2 to Aston Villa in the league before being dumped out of the FA Cup by Manchester United in the week.
Forest have some quality players at the top end of the pitch, including ex-Reds Divock Origi and Taiwo Awoniyi, and can certainly cause us problems if we don’t look after the ball.
We need to ensure we’re clinical at the top end of the pitch while winning the midfield battle could prove pivotal.
We suffered a 1-0 defeat at the City Ground last season in what was a game to forget but let’s hope for a much better showing this time around as we aim to continue our good form.