Goalkeeper Alisson Becker admits Liverpool’s focus on winning the Premier League last season may have cost them when it came to their European exit to Paris St Germain.
Finishing top of their Champions League group did the Reds no favours as they were handed a last-16 draw against Luis Enrique’s team, who went on to win the competition.
Having somehow left the French capital with a 1-0 victory despite being dominated, Arne Slot’s side lost the second leg by the same score at Anfield and were then beaten on penalties.
Liverpool, who lost the Carabao Cup final to Newcastle five days later, went on to win the Premier League, but Alisson accepts that may have been at the expense of their European ambitions.
“It is difficult to talk now about that,” the Brazil international said. “At the time we were so focused on the Premier League and it is hard to play in two big competitions at the same time.
“I think we had the quality at the time, we could do better.
“The first game we didn’t do so well we didn’t deserve the win, but we won in the end. In the second game we played better but they have quality and they showed their quality by winning the Champions League.
“We know that from our side we could do much better and this is what we will try and do this season.
“Of course we have a lot of desire for winning trophies this season again. In the Premier League last season was great, we know how special it is to win the Champions League.
“The players who did it in 2019 had that feeling and we want to have the feeling again. The new players they have full desire to win the trophies that we have in front of us, not only the Champions League and the Premier League but the (domestic) cups as well.
“We are going to try and fight for every trophy but of course the Champions League is a big target for us.”
Some extensive summer transfer business means there will likely be a number of players – Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, Alexander Isak, Giovanni Leoni and Giorgi Mamardashvili – making their first appearances for Liverpool in the Champions League this season against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.
Many of those players have taken up starting places this term but the team have yet to properly gel despite four straight victories, although all four wins coming from goals in the 83rd minute or later suggests there is nothing wrong with their resilience.
“It says a lot about the group,” Alisson added. “I think it is in the DNA of each player who wears the Liverpool shirt. You have to come with that kind of mentality.
“You can see in the Premier League that so many games are decided in the last minutes, either scoring or trying to not concede to keep your clean sheet as well, so it is really important for us to have players with that kind of mentality who never give up.
“I think we showed a lot of our qualities. We showed a really strong mentality and we know we are going to improve and we are going to work on that.
“It takes time for all the players to adapt to a new style of play, a new competition and everyone knows how physical and intense the Premier League is.
“For the new players coming in, they have to adapt to that as well, but their qualities are unbelievable and you know they are capable of doing that.”
