'Reds need to raise the bar'

VIRGIL van Dijk accepts Liverpool are making things unnecessarily difficult for themselves and must improve to avoid having to repeat their trick of scoring late winners.

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The captain’s header in the second minute of added time beat Atletico Madrid 3-2 in the Champions League - the fifth match in succession they have scored winners in the 83rd minute or later - but they could have achieved it much easier.

Three times this season they have had 2-0 leads pegged back before going on to snatch a dramatic victory and that will ultimately take its toll physically and mentally.

“7 think it was a little bit unnecessary. But Atletico are a team who never give up and have a lot of quality. Then we showed again the resilience we have shown for a couple of years,” said Van Dijk.

“We don’t want to come into a situation where we have to chase. You have to try to go for the win and I think we had the opportunities to kill the game and do better.