Klopp wants Liverpool to boost top four bid in 'massive' Newcastle game

Jurgen Klopp has challenged Liverpool to win Saturday's "massive" clash at Newcastle as the Reds look to climb back into the race to finish in the Premier League's top four.

Klopp's side are languishing in ninth place and sit nine points adrift of fourth-placed Newcastle.

Liverpool ended a four-game winless run in the Premier League by beating Everton 2-0 in Monday's Merseyside derby.

But Klopp knows a victory against Newcastle is essential if Liverpool are to have any chance of qualifying for the Champions League via a top four finish.

"It's a massive game. If we want to reach something this season, we have to chase everybody and especially the teams ahead of us in the table," Klopp told reporters on Friday.

"Newcastle is a tough place to go, was always for us, hopefully we can build on the performance from Monday because that was obviously the main difference to other games we won.

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"After the World Cup we won two games but we were not overly happy with the way we played, so you cannot really build on it. This time it was different. It looked like us.

"People said after the game that Everton didn't do this or that as much as they did against Arsenal. I really think it was because we did particularly well. That's a point to prove again tomorrow."

Liverpool have a game in hand on Newcastle and a win at St James' Park would revive their top four hopes.

Klopp's men can take heart from their 2-1 victory over the Magpies in August, although Newcastle have gone unbeaten in 17 top-flight games since then.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe took exception to recent critical comments from Klopp about the spending power of the Saudi-backed Magpies.

But the German, whose side face Spanish giants Real Madrid in the first leg of a last 16 Champions League tie next week, was more complimentary about Howe on Friday.

"Eddie's doing an exceptional job, absolutely exceptional. The financial possibilities they have or will have in the future, it's exceptional, but so far it's not because of that, not at all," Klopp said.

"Eddie came there in a difficult situation. It was building on the team they had, improving players who were there. It speaks volumes about the manager, how much he turned it around and made them a proper threat for everybody."

Liverpool centre-back Virgil Van Dijk, fit after a hamstring injury, could make his first appearance since the start of January after being on the bench against Everton.

"Yesterday he looked absolutely ready. I think today he will look the same and then we make a decision," Klopp said.