Dejan Lovren Targets Winning Start

Liverpool return to the Champions League for the first time in five years when they host Bulgarian side PFC Ludogrets later today at Anfield and Reds defender Dejan Lovren is looking to get off to a winning start as European football returns to Merseyside.

“The Champions League is the Champions League – it’s a big part of football. It’s not the same thing to play for Lyon in the Champions League and for Liverpool. I know Liverpool is a bigger club” he said in a pre-match press conference. “In front of the crowd, it will be something different than the Premier League, especially at home. It will be a massive game. We just need to concentrate and be calm, and to play our game.”

Liverpool will be looking to get back to winning ways after losing out to Aston Villa on Saturday. Despite dominating for large swathes of the match, an early goal from Gabriel Agbonlahor was enough to send the Reds crashing to their second defeat of the Premier League season — a result that the Croatian defender would rather avoid.

“We want success in the Champions League. I would not say we have an easy group but I’m sure that we can pass through the group” he continued. “The most important thing is to win the first game then after it will be much easier if you start the Champions League with three points. The most important thing is to pass through the group and afterwards we will see what will happen.”