Andy Robertson has told his Liverpool teammates that there can be no "hangover" from their chastening defeat at the hands of a Lionel Messi-inspired Barcelona.
Liverpool lost 3-0 at the Camp Nou on Wednesday night in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final, severely denting their hopes of progressing to next month's showpiece in Madrid.
Messi added to Luis Suarez's opener, scoring twice in the final quarter-of-an-hour to take the game and perhaps the tie away from Jurgen Klopp's side, who failed to score a vital away goal.
Liverpool's attentions now return to domestic matters and the Premier League title race with Manchester City, who sit one point clear at the top of the table going into the penultimate round of fixtures.
While City host Leicester City on Monday night, Liverpool travel to Newcastle United on Saturday, and Robertson called for absolute focus on the game at St James' Park.
“We are near the end of the season but we’ve got three, hopefully four, games left,” he said after the final whistle at the Camp Nou.
“We’ve no time to have a hangover now. We need to go strong into the Newcastle game first and get our bodies ready, and then go again because we can’t let our foot off the gas.
"We need the three points and push [City] the whole way. There can’t be a hangover. Newcastle is our full concentration now."
Liverpool acquitted themselves well at the Camp Nou and drew praise for their display but were left to bemoan a number of missed chances. The best fell to Mohamed Salah, who struck the post from close range late on with the score already at 3-0.
“It’s a strange one because we played well but we got beat 3-0 and it’s baffling how that’s happened," Robertson said.
"We didn’t take our chances and they had a bit of luck with the second but that’s what happens. It’s going to be a tough task now but we have to think about Saturday first and foremost and then believe we can do something special on Tuesday."
The left-back felt that Liverpool were on top before Messi's first goal of the night, which saw the ball fall kindly into his path after Suarez had struck the crossbar.
“The second goal was one of the luckiest goals I’ve been involved in, coming off the bar and Messi taps it in.
"Just as we were getting into the game and the [home] fans were starting to boo and get on top of them, and we had them where we wanted them. Unfortunately we got caught.
"Then of course if Mo scores – you can’t criticise him for it but those are the fine margins. At 3-1 it is a lot better scoreline with an away goal. We need something special on Tuesday but if there is any place to do it it’s Anfield.”
