Liverpool, Sep 6 (IANS) Liverpool defender Milos Kerkez has urged his team-mates to remain focused as they enter a demanding period of the season, with Atletico Madrid next up in the UEFA Champions League campaign opener.

Liverpool returned to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over Ipswich Town at Portman Road on Saturday. Alexander Isak scored twice to secure the three points, while Liverpool also kept a clean sheet.

For Kerkez, the result was important after a difficult start to the Premier League campaign. The Hungarian defender was pleased with the way Liverpool responded and followed the instructions of head coach Andoni Iraola.

“It’s really nice. I think we were in the game since the first minute. It’s what we talked about in the first two games: that we need to do better. I think we did that outstanding,” Kerkez told Liverpool’s official website.

“Obviously Alex is starting to score, and I hope that continues. I’m happy with the boys and overall how aggressive we went,” he added.

However, Kerkez knows Liverpool cannot afford to spend too much time celebrating the victory. The Reds now face Atletico Madrid at Anfield before continuing a packed run of fixtures across different competitions.

The defender stressed that Liverpool must maintain their intensity and concentration as matches begin to arrive every few days.

“I think everyone felt better on the pitch, and I think myself also when I look at it, I’m getting more into the play and better. Obviously it’s a clean sheet, particularly away; we know it’s tough in the Premier League everywhere,” he said.

“We’re happy but we can’t celebrate too much. Now games come every three days, and it’s onto the next,” he added.

Kerkez also spoke about the demands of Iraola’s high-intensity style. Liverpool are expected to press aggressively, but the defender admitted that maintaining that level for the entire 90 minutes is difficult.

“When you press like us, it’s a bit tough to do it for all the games and all the 90 minutes. We can do it for the first 30 to 35 minutes, and in some ways we can do that in the second half at the beginning. But then it’s all about staying compact and talking to each other,” he said.

The left-back has also been working on his understanding with Liverpool’s attacking players. Kerkez has featured alongside Cody Gakpo and Bradley Barcola, with the two forwards offering different styles on the left side.

He believes regular training is helping the players develop a better understanding of each other’s movements.

“It’s your job to adapt. That’s why we have training sessions. I think with Cody this year we understand each other a lot better,” Kerkez said.

“When Bradley came in, we had good actions. I nearly gave him a pass through; that was nice. But we’re getting the understanding every day in training. We need to just keep going,” he added.

Liverpool will now look to carry the confidence from their win at Ipswich into their Champions League campaign when Atletico Madrid visit Anfield.

--IANS

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