JURGEN Klopp believed his side’s improved second-half performance over Cherries was due to Liverpool finding their rhythm at Vitality Stadium.

After an even first half ended goalless, Klopp’s Reds sprung to life in the second period, with doubles from Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez giving them a 4-0 win on the south coast.

Despite the large discrepancy in the final scoreline, Cherries asked questions of their guests in the opening 45 minutes.

However, they were unable to truly test the Reds’ backline, allowing Liverpool to come back in the second half and comfortably win the game.

Asked what changed between the two halves, Klopp began: “The first half, let me say it like this.

“I think we spoke a couple times about periods where we have had five games in 13 days, really tough.

“Now we had 11 days off, trained for five of this 11 days and we lacked rhythm.

“I don’t complain about it, because it is our fault, but it is really tricky.

“But the other team had the same situation, they had rhythm.

“It was really important we had a good start.

“We had the opposite of a good start.

“We put ourselves under pressure, with the first ball pretty much.

“They had corners, throw-ins.

“We were kind of in a rush. We had football moments that were alright without creating properly. They were alright, but not enough.

“We played long balls when we should have played between the lines, and the other way around as well.

“So it was not good. Half time we had two or three situations that we showed the boys how it should look. Helped a little bit with the position change of the front three, but we showed where the spaces were where we could play.

“How important it was to push up to win the ball high. The start of the second half was our start, it was the other way around.

“In the moment we find rhythm, we are strong. It looks really, really good. Without rhythm probably no one is strong.

“We should start games better. It’s about 98 minutes.

“It’s about winning the game in the end and, as long as you stay in the game, pretty much anything that happens in the game is allowed.

“You don’t have to perform for 98 minutes at an absolute top level, it is pretty rare.

“Today, step by step, we found a way in the game and won it.”