WOLVERHAMPTON, United Kingdom: Jurgen Klopp branded the goals Liverpool conceded in a 3-0 defeat to Wolves as “horrible” with the German admitting to being at a loss to explain his side’s disastrous form.
The Reds have taken just one point from their last four Premier League games to all but end any hope of catching the top four for a place in next season’s Champions League.
Klopp’s men trailed 2-0 inside 12 minutes at Molineux as Joel Matip’s own goal and Craig Dawson’s strike on his debut put Wolves on course to climb out of the relegation zone.
Ruben Neves added a third 19 minutes from time after Liverpool had dominated the early stages of the second half without reward.
“Conceding early goals is not unfamiliar to us but the way we conceded them today was not acceptable,” said Klopp.
“When you see the whole game, throughout the game in moments we played an outstanding game without scoring and a good away game without scoring.
“The third goal I don’t count because it was the first time they passed the halfway line in the second half. The other two goals, going into a game with all the things we said during the week and before the game, then this is the start, is horrible.”
Already out of both domestic cups, Liverpool sit 10th in the Premier League.
The Champions League appears to be their last chance of salvaging their season with a last 16 tie against Real Madrid to come later this month in a repeat of last season’s final.
Klopp’s side came close to winning an unprecedented quadruple of trophies last season.
But he appears incapable of stopping the rot as for the third consecutive away league game, Liverpool conceded three times.
“We better change it. That’s true, 100 percent. I have no words for it really, I’m sorry,” he added.
“You do yourself no favors in these moments, giving easy balls away.
“We were passive in the (first) two goals, everything we wanted to do was be compact and active but we were compact and passive. I can’t explain it. I think why would you do that? But they did it anyway.”
Klopp at a loss to explain ‘unacceptable’ Liverpool form
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Klopp at a loss to explain ‘unacceptable’ Liverpool form
- The Reds have taken just one point from their last four Premier League games to all
- "Conceding early goals is not unfamiliar to us but the way we conceded them today was not acceptable," said Klopp
Kane double fires Bayern into Champions League last 16
- The six-time European champions sit second in the standings behind Arsenal ahead of their last league-phase outing at PSV Eindhoven next week
MUNICH, Germany: Harry Kane scored twice in three second-half minutes as Bayern Munich saw off Union Saint-Gilloise 2-0 on Wednesday to reach the last 16 of the Champions League.
Bayern joined Arsenal in sealing a top-eight finish in the 36-team table with a game to spare, avoiding a potential two-legged knockout play-off round.
The six-time European champions sit second in the standings behind Arsenal ahead of their last league-phase outing at PSV Eindhoven next week.
Kane headed in from a corner before winning and converting a penalty to put the hosts firmly in control.
The England captain had a chance for a hat-trick but missed a late spot-kick, after Bayern center-back Kim Min-jae had been dismissed for a second yellow card.
“Coming back into the second half we wanted to show more intensity and I think we did that,” Kane told DAZN.
“We scored at the right times, were a bit unlucky with the red card but even after that when we went down to 10 men we controlled the game well and earned the three points.”
Bayern’s Champions League defeat at Arsenal remains their only loss in all competitions this season, in which they have also already opened up an 11-point lead in the Bundesliga.
Kane’s second goal was his 34th of the campaign, bringing Bayern’s total tally to 103 strikes from 29 games.
Bayern were sluggish in the opening half, perhaps unsettled by the absence of their 9,300-strong ultra contingent, with the lower stand closed due to a UEFA sanction for setting off pyrotechnics.
“We’re used to that from the Covid period, of course, but fundamentally we always want the fans there in a sold-out stadium — unfortunately it wasn’t possible today,” Bayern captain Manuel Neuer told DAZN.
The best chance of the opening half fell to Belgian champions Union SG.
With half an hour played, an unmarked Promise David got away from the Bayern defense and had just Neuer to beat, but headed his effort directly at the goalkeeper.
Bayern needed a set-piece to break the deadlock with 52 minutes gone.
Michael Olize lofted the ball into the six-yard area and Kane found space at the near post to head his side in front.
One minute later, Kane was felled by Union ‘keeper Kjell Scherpen and stepped up to double Bayern’s lead.
Kim, handed a rare start with Dayot Upamecano out sick, was sent off in the 63rd minute, picking up a second yellow for yanking Raul Florucz’s arm as the winger went on the attack.
But the red card did not disrupt Bayern’s flow.
Kane uncharacteristically blasted a penalty against the bar with 10 minutes left, while Olize chipped another opportunity over with just Scherpen to beat.
