Liverpool coach Arne Slot warned Monday that Champions League opponents Girona are stronger than their results in the competition so far indicate. The Premier League leaders are top of the European standings with a 100 percent record and on Tuesday face a Girona side down in 30th, with four defeats in five matches. However, Slot said he had been watching Girona for a while, as they ran Real Madrid close for the Spanish title last season, and said the Champions League debutants’ results do not reflect their quality.
“I think it’s really special what they’ve done here, particularly last season but even this season,” Slot told a news conference.
“That they were competing for the league title with this budget probably (shows) how good of a manager Michel is.
“Even this season I think they do better than the results might look, especially in the Champions League — I’ve seen almost every game and apart from the PSV game… they were unlucky in every game.”
Girona fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain in their first ever Champions League clash and then lost 3-2 at Slot’s former club Feyenoord.
The Catalan club beat Slovan Bratislava but then lost to PSV and Sturm Graz, leaving them on the brink of elimination.
Slot said he would be able to use his strongest side after Liverpool’s Premier League derby clash with Everton at the weekend was called off because of a dangerous storm.
“Now everybody is really fit because we skipped the game on Saturday so there is no reason to rotate,” said Slot.
“We will start like all the other (European) games with a really good team tomorrow.”
The Dutch coach confirmed goalkeeper Alisson Becker was fit to play after around two months out injured.
Slot said he believed while finishing in the top eight of the group would help his team avoid an extra two fixtures in the competition, it would not provide an advantage in the Premier League against their title rivals.
“If we end up in the top eight, I assume that these clubs… end up in the top eight as well,” he added.
“So Arsenal, I think 95 percent sure, City have to do a bit more maybe, but they are able to win three times in a row as well, so then they will be in the top eight.”
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