‘We should be confident… we have to be confident’: Virgil van Dijk says there is ‘no reason for panic’ after first leg defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League and backs the Reds to hit back at Anfield
- Liverpool lost 1-0 to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League Last-16 first leg
- The competition holders were off-colour and failed to register a shot on target
- Virgil van Dijk stressed it’s ‘only half time’ and says the Reds will overturn the tie
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has rallied the troops after their Champions League first leg defeat to Atletico Madrid.
The Premier League leaders were brought back down to earth with their first defeat in any competition since September as Saul Niguez’s strike was enough to secure a 1-0 win before the sides meet at Anfield next month.
The Spanish outfit frustrated Liverpool and didn’t allow them to play their natural game that has seen them romp to 25 points clear at the top of the league table, but van Dijk believes it is not time for panic stations.
Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk is backing the team to overturn their defeat to Atletico Madrid
‘Look, it was frustrating, but it’s only half-time,’ the 28-year-old said.
‘There is no reason for negativity, no reason for panic. We should be confident, we have to be confident.
‘We can’t let this defeat bring us down in any way at all. We’re never happy with losing. It’s been a while, as well, but we’ve got to keep going and we have to believe in ourselves like we always do.
Liverpool will be looking to summon some inspiration from their stunning comeback against Barcelona at the semi-final stage last season – where Jurgen Klopp’s men had a much harder task in attempting to overturn a 3-0 defeat to Lionel Messi and Co.
The Dutch defender was powerless to stop Saul Niguez from firing the Spanish side ahead
But they shocked Barca with a 4-0 thrashing to book a place in the final before lifting the trophy after overcoming Tottenham 2-0.
Van Dijk says Liverpool have no regrets about the way they tackled the game against Atletico and is focusing on another 90 minutes at Anfield to put things right.
‘Look, we expected them to be like this, at the end of the day it’s all football. The fans helped them, it’s a difficult atmosphere for the referee as well to be out there.
‘We managed the game as good as possible when everyone is jumping around you.
‘But it started with the goal we conceded. We gave them something to hold on to. Everyone has to deal with them. We’re frustrated we lost but still have another 90 minutes.’