Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was dissatisfied with his team's'slapstick' 1-0 loss to Inter Milan, which concluded their year-long unbeaten home record, but admits it was the one game they might afford to lose.
The Reds took a two-goal lead from the San Siro into to the return leg of their last-16 Champions League tie at Anfield, and they needed it after Lautaro Martinez's 61st-minute goal gave the visitors the chance to close the gap.
Regrettably, Alexis Sanchez's red card for a 2nd bookable offence less than two minutes later dashed Inter's hopes, and although Mohamed Salah 2 times hit the post in the second half, Liverpool's 4q in five seasons was secured.
There are numerous caveats. The art of soccer is to lose the right games,' said Klopp after his team suffered their first home defeat in 29 matches, ending a 12-match winning streak.
'I still despise it, but if there's any game we could've have afforded to lose, it was this one because the main goal of this competition is to make it through.'
'I'm not overjoyed, but I'm glad we got through because when we saw the draw, we thought, 'OK, that's a tough one,' but we got across over 2 different legs and I think we did deserve it.
'It's a big 'if,' but if we had taken our opportunities from predefined and other situations - and it was a bit situational comedy how we missed them - we could have won the game in the end.
But the only thing I care about is that we get through this.'
There was some discussion about whether Sanchez should really have received a second yellow card after winning the ball but catching Fabinho with his follow-through, but Klopp was unconvinced.
'I'm not sure why we have to actually debate that,' he added.
'You do not even win the ball if you can only win it by having put yourself in a position to seriously harm your opponent.'
'He's flying in and he can't stop, and to be honest, he struck Fab in a really bad way.' I think he was lucky not to be sent off in the 1st half for a high leg on Thiago Alcantara.'
Inter manager Simone Inzaghi admits the red card hampered their progress, but believes the first-leg drubbing was more damaging.
''Obviously, we were very disappointed with what occurred at the San Siro because, over the course of two games, we demonstrated that we were the absolutely equal of a really strong Liverpool team,' he said.
'I think we really stunned them when we scored, and then Sanchez was sent off, and we saw what happened.'
'We are disappointed that we had a player being sent off just as we were gaining an advantage in the game.'
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