Liverpool have been handed a relative advantage by the UEL draw and Klopp must use this to benefit the Reds in the PL fixtures that await.
It is known that there is much more travel demand in the Europa League than in the Champions League. This is a fact that the Reds know too well from their previous participation in the UEFA Europa League.
Although this is only the 4th time they will be participating in the competition, the Reds aren’t strangers to tedious travel schedules.
The Merseysiders have had memories of trips to face the likes of Steaua Bucharest, Anzhi Makhachkala, and Rubin Kazan from past campaigns.
Currently, however, Klopp would be delighted that his side doesn’t have to overcome that level of travel.
But should the draw for this season’s UEL have been different, Liverpool might have had to travel to Azerbaijan, Israel, and Cyprus.
However, this is not to say that they have been handed easier draws, at least as per UEFA coefficients. The Reds have been drawn against LASK, Union SG, and Toulouse in the group stages.
This means that they would be traveling to Austria, Belgium, and France, which is not far off English soil. The Reds only have a cumulative distance of 3,046.93 kilometers to cover.
Liverpool could gain from UEL fixtures
There is no doubt that Klopp would be using this international break to finalize his UEL squad. Moreover, Klopp has used weaker sides for away games where possible. He has only used his big guns at home when traveling is not an issue.
There’s also the difficulty of the league fixture taking place three days after the European engagement has been negotiated to consider. In fact, the Reds have been blessed with good fortune in this respect too.
Just one of their six Premier League matches which directly follows a Europa League fixture is away from home.
And it’s at Brighton’s AMEX Stadium, a venue at which Liverpool were beaten twice last season.
But even that particular week could have been worse as the Reds host Union SG in midweek, rather than having to set sail overseas.
However, the greater concern for Klopp would be the fixture after the away game in Europe. Although there are easier fixtures, they would be facing West Ham, Brentford, and Man Utd, all traveling to Anfield.
The thought of a draining trip to Eastern Europe directly before a clash with Manchester United doesn’t bear thinking about. Klopp will be delighted that his squad’s travel demands have been kept to a near minimum.
I’m a football enthusiast and an avid writer and someone who lives by the Bill Shankly quote, on a day to day basis.
