Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius has insisted that he is still "confident" of his side's chances of reaching the EFL Cup final this season.
The Reds fell to a 1-0 defeat in the first leg of their semi-final against Southampton on Wednesday night and will need to overturn that deficit in the return fixture at Anfield if they are to reach Wembley for a second consecutive season.
Karius was one of few players to shine for Liverpool as he kept his side in the tie with a string of saves, but he believes that the team will be a lot more threatening in the final third when they are at home.
"We didn't create that many chances. In the last game in the league against them, it ended 0-0 but we had a lot more clear chances that we missed. This time we didn't really get through - they defended really well and had some counter-attacks that really hurt us. One-nil is not the result we were aiming for, but there's still everything in it for the second leg," he told the club's official website.
"As I said, it's not the ideal result, but we're still confident we can turn it around. With our fans, we will make it as difficult as we can for them. If we could score an early goal, that would be good. We'll see how the game goes, but it's going to be really tough for them.
"I wish I could have kept the other one out as well when they scored. I tried to be there when the team needed me, but of course all in all we're really disappointed. We came here to win the first game, but now (the result) makes life a little more difficult. We're still confident we can turn it around."
The return leg will take place on Wednesday, January 25.
Barney Corkhill
