Capital One Cup Final: Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool felt rubbish following defeat to Manchester City

Jurgen Klopp has admitted Liverpool "feel rubbish" after suffering a disappointed defeat on penalties in the Capital One Cup final against Manchester City but assuring they will provide a strong response in the coming games. The German boss, meanwhile, claimed that Mamadou Sakho "looked better after the game" but defended his decision to replace him by Kolo Toure earlier in the first-half following a a heavy clash of heads with Emre Can.

The Reds managed to react to Fernandinho's opener in the second half to equalise the game thanks to Philipe Coutinho's goal. But following a thrilling 1-1 draw, Lucas Leiva, Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana were all denied by Willy Caballero in the penalty shootout, with Yaya Toure scoring the winner to give City the title.

"You have to feel a defeat," Klopp said after the game. "You cannot say 'I don't care, it's not important'. It was important and we lost, so that feels not too good. Of course we will strike back – 100 per cent. We struck back today in the game. But for this and the next time we are in a final, you have to feel how it is when you lose.

"Not everybody has to learn it like this – I won my first final. It's really not the best moment, but that is all. Tomorrow morning we can change everything, but now we can change nothing. That's the big difference.

"But don't worry, we will go on, we will get better and that's how it is. We have to go the hard way – that's how it is. Nothing is easy in this moment, but we can see if we carry on working really hard then there is new light at the end of the tunnel. That's really, really important and that's what we know. We will stay in the race, there is no doubt about this – but tonight we feel rubbish."

Klopp, meanwhile, provided a positive update on Sakho condition while insisted it was the right decision to replace him following his collision with Can despite the France international looked unhappy with it.

"I'm not too sure at this moment, but he looked better after the game. In the situation, we had to make the decision," he said. "At half-time, he said it was the right decision but when we took him off he said it was the wrong decision. He had a knock against his head and in this moment you should not ask the player.

"Everybody understood and thought it was better to take him off. He was struggling in this moment and it was not too healthy. We have to see, it's not a big problem."