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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
David Lynch

Jurgen Klopp explains Liverpool 'plan' to beat Leicester to Champions League qualification

Jurgen Klopp has insisted only a potentially decisive goal difference swing could tempt him to pay attention to Leicester City and Chelsea's scorelines on the final day of the Premier League season.

The Reds go into their 38th game a point and a place behind Chelsea in third, while a goal difference cushion of four is keeping them in the final Champions League qualification spot ahead of fifth-placed Leicester City.

As such, Klopp is keen to focus solely on earning a victory over Crystal Palace at Anfield that is likely to be enough to ensure that his team claim their place at Europe's top table next term.

However, the German expects to be notified if Leicester begin thrashing Tottenham and threatening to leapfrog last season's champions into fourth place.

"Because of the situation we are in, unless something strange happens and Leicester are four or five up and we're 0-0 we won't look at it," he said.

"It's in our hands. Someone will tell me if something strange happens. We will play a top game, that is the plan."

Just a month ago, Liverpool conceded an injury time equaliser to Newcastle that left them seven points behind Chelsea and nine behind Leicester in the chase for the Champions League.

But, while a recent recovery has put the Reds in a position to finish ahead of both teams on the last day, Klopp is in no mood to celebrate just yet.

He added: "It was a strange, intense season, nothing will change that but now we can finish it in a top way. It's not done yet, it's football. We're not even close to a celebration, we just focus on the 95 minutes we play.

"It would be great if we could do it [Champions League] - it is really exciting as well. The boys will be tired after the season - but for now it is all good.

"The door opened for us a little bit and we have to step through, that is what the boys did.

"We only have to focus on us. Last Thursday, Sunday, Wednesday, Sunday is the toughest period you can imagine. We have to recover properly, take one session and be at our best vs Palace."

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