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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said he wants his team to find another gear against Manchester City in the FA Cup semifinal on Saturday (LIVE on ESPN+ in the U.S., 10:30 a.m. ET) and improve on their performance from last weekend’s Premier League clash.
Klopp’s side drew 2-2 after twice trailing league champions City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday when victory would have lifted them to the top of the standings for the first time since October.
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“City were really strong last week and we were not at our best,” Klopp told reporters on Thursday. “I’d like to see a game where we are at our best. That would be nice, could be a surprise if all of a sudden we are good!
“The boys did a lot of good stuff in the game, but there were a couple of things and I know that we can perform to a different level.”
Liverpool advanced to the FA Cup semifinal for the first time under Klopp, who took charge at Anfield in October 2015, thanks to a late winner from Diogo Jota against Nottingham Forest last month.
The mayors of Liverpool and Greater Manchester had called for Saturday’s game to be moved from Wembley due to a lack of train services to London over the Easter weekend.
“The FA Cup is a massive competition. So far we couldn’t even get to the semis, so it’s our first experience of a semi-final at Wembley,” Klopp said.
“Now we are there, it means everything to us… I hope the fans can get to London, I think the trains have stopped, and we have the atmosphere a semifinal between Manchester City vs. Liverpool deserves.”
Klopp added he will make a late assessment of Jota’s fitness for the FA Cup tie after the forward sustained a knock during Wednesday’s 3-3 draw with Benfica in the Champions League quarter-final second leg.