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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Hassan Rashed

Jurgen Klopp explains why Liverpool have not kept clean sheet in eight games

Jurgen Klopp has admitted his Liverpool side need to improve their defensive record after conceding for the eighth successive game during their 2-1 win over Genk on Tuesday.

The Reds took an early lead in the Champions League clash through Georginio Wijnaldum, but had to rely on a second-half winner from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain after Mbwana Samatta equalised with a powerful header before half-time.

Samatta's goal meant that the Reds have failed to keep a clean sheet in any competition since the 1-0 win over Sheffield United at the end of the September.

And although the Reds are unbeaten in that same period, Klopp conceded it is something his side will have to address as they prepare to host title rivals Manchester City in a crucial Premier League clash on Sunday.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp looks on during the game with Genk (Action Images via Reuters)

"It's not really a worry, to be honest, but it's of course not what we want," the Liverpool boss told BT Sport after the game.

"All the goals we conceded were completely different. They were all different, so it's not about defending, it's about being 100 per cent spot on in the situations and we were not.

"We know that and it's what we have to work on and what we will do."

Tuesday's victory saw the European champions take one step closer to booking their passage into the knockout rounds.

Liverpool have failed to keep a clean sheet in eight games (REUTERS)

The Reds are now top of Group E with two games remaining after Napoli were held to a 1-1 draw by Red Bull Salzburg, but Klopp recognised that his side were far from their best at Anfield.

"It was a good goal from them," he added. "It kept them alive. In the end, if we only score one and they score one it's a lot of effort.

"Ox [Oxlade-Chamberlain] got that wonderful goal but again, we don't finish the situation.

"The players came through but you saw after a while it gets hard to get that rhythm and at the end of the game it was not there.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's second-half winner helped put Liverpool top of Group E (Getty Images)

We got a little bit of trouble but not really. It was job done."

Klopp, whose side will be looking to extend their six-point lead at the top of the Premier League table on Sunday, continued: "We were the clear favourites tonight.

"If we scored two or three in the first half nobody would have thought that couldn't have happened. But it went 1-1 and then it got tricky. But now we are all good.

"Tomorrow [Wednesday] will be a nice recovery day for everybody and then prepare for Manchester City."

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