Liverpool dreams of qualifying for the Champions League again. In Leicester, Jurgen Klopp’s team won easily – while the fans celebrated a professional who didn’t even play a part.
With their seventh win in a row, Jürgen Klopp and Liverpool have kept their small chance of returning to the Champions League. The Reds won their third-to-last game of the season in the English Premier League at Leicester City 3-0 (2-0), but as fifth in the table they still have to hope for blunders from the competition.
Firmino is the focus – but not on the pitch
The game – although not in front of a home crowd – became a premature farewell to LFC star Roberto Firmino. The Brazilian wasn’t on the pitch, but the Liverpool fans still celebrated him with loud chants that lasted for several minutes. The song “Si Señor” was repeatedly sung in Firmino’s honour, which is extremely popular with the fans.
Striker Firmino switched from 1899 Hoffenheim to the Reds in 2015 and won the Champions League, the Club World Cup and the first English championship title with them in more than three decades. After he was no longer part of the permanent staff at coach Klopp, Firmino announced a few weeks ago that he was leaving the club in the summer – although the coach and club really wanted to keep him.
Jones’ double whammy
From a Liverpool perspective, there was also something special in terms of football: A double strike by Curtis Jones (33rd/36th) put the Klopp team on the road to victory before the break. The 22-year-old is just the second Liverpool-born player with a Premier League brace for the Reds after Robbie Fowler. Trent Alexander-Arnold (71st) made everything clear.
| 1 | 35 | 27 | 4 | 4 | 92:31 | +61 | 85 | ||||
| 2 | 36 | 25 | 6 | 5 | 83:42 | +41 | 81 | ||||
| 3 | 35 | 18 | 12 | 5 | 63:31 | +32 | 66 | ||||
| 4 | 35 | 20 | 6 | 9 | 51:41 | +10 | 66 | ||||
| 5 | 36 | 19 | 8 | 9 | 70:42 | +28 | 65 | ||||
| 6 | 34 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 66:45 | +21 | 58 |
whole table
With 65 points, the Klopp team has already secured participation in the Europa League, but wants more. Both Newcastle United (3rd) and Manchester United (4th) have just one more point on their account, but they still have a game to play.
For Leicester, on the other hand, things are getting tight after just one win in their last 14 league games. Two games before the end, the gap to the saving bank is two points, after nine years without a break in the Premier League there is a risk of returning to the House of Commons.
