Liverpool FC

Ange Postecoglou's Spurs host a slender advantage in the semi-final tie after a 1-0 victory in last month's first leg in the capital.

The return meeting takes place 29 days later at Anfield, where Tsimikas and his teammates will look to overturn the deficit and secure their spot in the Wembley showpiece again.

Liverpoolfc.com sat down with Tsimikas at the AXA Training Centre to preview Thursday night's last-four showdown.

Read on to see what he had to say about the clash, harnessing the power supplied by the home supporters and his own form this season…

Kostas, one game away from Wembley – you must be raring to go...

Yes, of course. I think everybody is really ready for this game. Everybody knows it will be a very tough game but I think everybody in this team is ready for every challenge. We just have to play our game and to win the game.

It's been a while since that first leg. Quite a lot has happened since and a lot of good things...

We said our goals from the start that we wanted to win every single trophy we have ahead. The first leg was maybe 20 days ago but we always want to face this team because we lost the first game away and now we play in our home and we want to win the game.

And you know you'll have Anfield right behind you...

That's most important. The fans are always there for us and every single step we do they are always there to encourage us and to give us the extra power and extra confidence we need to win the game. Always with Anfield at our backs we are stronger – and we have to show that again.

What's the key to this game, then – remaining calm and patient? You've got 90 minutes, potentially more, to turn things around…

My feeling is to score a goal quickly and after it will be a very different game. I think they will try to go higher and try to play from the back, and we have to steal some balls and score. I think this game will be very, very tense – as it was in the first [leg]. We don't want to lose many chances, we want to score goals and to win the game.

You were praised by Arne Slot recently – do you feel like you're in a good moment and playing some of the best football of your Liverpool career?

I just feel confident. I feel like the manager believes in me. When I play, he is always there for me and always shows me that he wants the best for me. I really, really enjoy to be here with the manager, with the boys. You can always see the smile on my face when I play and when we score a goal. It's a big thing for me to say good things but, as I always say, the mirror is the pitch – you have to show there exactly what you can do. Nothing is easy, as we know. I'm really, really happy and I will continue to do this for as many years as I can.

A player who plays in front of you on the pitch – Cody Gakpo – has also impressed this season, especially in the Carabao Cup. How happy are you for him?

He's a great, great player. I think he showed from the time he came in how special he is and how he can put his body [in], very strong, very quick. Now with the many goals he puts in, I think he's a top player for the team. He's always a hard worker. Even in attack, even in defence, he's always there to help the team to achieve our goals and, of course, to score goals for the team. I'm really, really happy for him. We are really close and I hope [for] more goals for him because he absolutely deserves it.

The Reds host Ange Postecoglou's Spurs at Anfield on Thursday night (kick-off 8pm GMT) trailing 1-0 in the tie.

Slot is set to meet the media at the AXA Training Centre ahead of the fixture.

Supporters can tune in to the briefing as it happens via our YouTube stream below.

The Academy centre-back's move to Liverpool's fellow Premier League club was confirmed today.

Furnell-Gill had been with the Reds since U15 level, when he arrived from Preston North End.

Everyone at Liverpool FC wishes Luca well for the future.

The Reds head into the second leg trailing 1-0 in the tie, with kick-off at Anfield set for 8pm GMT.

Sky Sports will televise the game live in the UK. Global broadcast details can be found here.

Get fixture and broadcast information directly to your phone by downloading our eCalendar here

Matchday Live begins at 6.45pm GMT on LFCTV, with build-up followed by live audio commentary and then post-match reaction.

Free live audio commentary for this game is available at video.liverpoolfc.com and in our dedicated Match Centre.

Follow Match Centre on Liverpoolfc.com and the official LFC app [iOS | Google Play] from 1pm GMT on Thursday for live build-up, confirmed team news, minute-by-minute updates, photos, videos, post-match reaction and more.

Extended highlights, a full match replay and more will be available for subscribers on LFCTV GO from midnight after the game.

There are some matchday hospitality packages still available for the second leg at Anfield on Thursday February 6, when Arne Slot’s Reds will attempt to overturn a 1-0 deficit and reach Wembley.

Treat yourself, family, friends or colleagues to a unique matchday experience in one of the fabulous stadium lounges, with all packages including your match ticket.

The Reds created plenty of openings in either half at Lamex Stadium in Stevenage but were unable to find a breakthrough prior to two late goals from the hosts.

Rio Kyerematen opened the scoring in the 81st minute before Oliver Irow wrapped up the points for Spurs three minutes later.

Speaking to Liverpoolfc.com post-match, U21s head coach Barry Lewtas said: "It's taking the good moments of the game that we have and trying to put them into a winning performance – that's what we're lacking at the minute if I'm going to be honest.

"We missed too many chances and then in the end the two goals we offered near the end were gifts.

"We're probably hurting ourselves more than the opposition but today we played against a good team. It was a well-contested game.

"But for what we've been trying to do this week and the work we've done, I think to perform like that and then to come away again with a loss and without a goal is very disappointing."

Team

Liverpool: Davies, Mabaya (Miles, 85), Davidson, Lucky, Nallo, Pilling, Kone-Doherty, Laffey (Corness, 63), Morrison, Ngumoha (Figueroa, 76), Young (Pinnington, 85).

Unused sub: Misciur.

Next up

The U21s are next in action on Friday February 7 when they travel to Southampton.

Kick-off for the Premier League 2 contest at the Staplewood Campus is 7pm GMT.

The fixture on Thursday February 6 is an 8pm GMT kick-off.

Supporters can view the ticket sales details here.

"I think just be a bit tidier with the ball," the full-back told Liverpoolfc.com post-match. "I think out of possession we were good tonight, we defended well for most parts and we were aggressive in the press.

"But I think [being] better on the ball and obviously try to create more chances and things like that.

"But I'm sure we'll look back on it and I think the next, second leg is not for another month or so, so we'll make sure we're ready for the next game on Saturday."

He continued: "With the result last time we were here, they were probably deflated from it and they wanted to show something from it.

"They're always going to show up with a bit more fight and things like that, and it felt like we matched it, especially in the first half.

"As I said, we probably could have been a bit better on the ball at times but I thought we were aggressive and we matched their physicality. So, bring on the second leg.

"Obviously Anfield is our home and we love playing there. Obviously having the fans with us, we can't wait to get back there and it'll be a good second leg.

"As you've said, we've overcome worse than a 1-0, so we're looking forward to it."

Bradley was handed a starting berth by Arne Slot in the capital – his first in six weeks after recovering from injury.

He played an hour of the contest with Ange Postecoglou's men, having made his comeback with an appearance off the bench against Manchester United last weekend.

"I think there always is [some rustiness] when you've been out for a couple of weeks," the No.84 assessed of his own display. "I felt like I was just growing and growing into the game.

"Obviously we're just managing my minutes, coming off at 60, and I'm ready to go again on Saturday.

"You've just always got to be ready for a chance. Whenever you're called upon, just be ready to come in and give your all for the team and just try to help the team win in any way you can. That's what I always try to do and just be ready."

Spurs hold a slender advantage in the semi-final after Lucas Bergvall's 86th-minute goal decided Wednesday night's first leg in the capital.

See the key moments and an entire repeat of the clash in the videos below.

Subscribe to LFCTV GO now and get your first month free

On the winning goal for Tottenham coming with his team briefly down to 10 men after Bergvall's challenge on Kostas Tsimikas...

It was a good goal, let that be clear. A ball in behind, a cut-back cross, Bergvall scoring, stayed really calm, finished it off, but I don't think you're interested in that. I think you're interested in the moment before. When I just walked in, I think I saw Ange sitting here on Sunday. Something happened and I think Spurs weren’t happy with a few decisions that were made on Sunday and many people always say that this will eventually match up in the end of the season.

I'm not one of them that believes that because sometimes you can be unlucky in a season, or lucky in a season. On Sunday a decision went against them, maybe today a decision went in favour of them, which is, of course, very unlucky for us because I never felt we were going to lose this game. Especially not after the first 15 to 20 minutes because I did feel Spurs started the game better than us. But after that, in my opinion, we had most of the game control, played most of the game in their half, had much more ball possession and then a moment like this, if you go down to 10 for a few seconds against a team that can play good football, like Tottenham can, it's far from ideal.

On whether Bergvall should have picked up a second yellow card for the tackle...

I don’t think there is any debate about that. They say he didn’t stop the counter-attack. I think every manager would prefer if the tackle being made now 40 yards away from our goalkeeper - I don’t think you really stop a counter-attack then - every manager would prefer to get a second yellow card for the other team than to finish that counter-attack with a player less to play that counter-attack with. If that is not a discussion, then the next discussion is if it was reckless enough, [so] just give advantage, then just come back and say, 'Yeah, I thought the tackle was still too reckless.' They still have to give a yellow.

In the VAR decision he had to tell everyone what his decision was, but unfortunately he didn’t have to do this with this decision. Things happen. Very unlucky for us... the good thing for us is that if you ever have to lose a game, it’s better that you lose one when there is still a second leg to be played. [It's a] far from ideal starting position for us because they have a really good team, probably some players come back for the second leg. So, far from ideal to lose here, but if I ever have to lose I prefer to lose if there's still a leg to be played. Then it would've been only this game.

On whether Liverpool were 'not quite at their best' in the game...

If you compare it with the 6-3 [in the Premier League] then that’s clear, but I don’t think we will reach that level in every single game we play. You can always expect a reaction from Spurs, which you saw today, you can always expect a reaction from the fans because it’s a semi-final. We all know how important it is to us, but also how important it is for the Spurs fans to go to the final. We knew when we came here that it would never be the same game as we played here one week ago or two weeks ago, but still I saw a lot of things the same. I think even in that game the ball possession was equal, but now I think we had 60 to 40 [per cent]. There's many good things to take for me, more than the [Manchester] United game, but the result was not as good as against United.

On his thoughts on a first VAR announcement from the referee...

I think you can't judge something on one game, but if it’s offside then I don't think anyone had to explain something. When he started explaining something, you saw a red and a blue line. I think it would be more interesting for everyone if he would've explained why he didn't give a second yellow card than explaining why he cancelled the goal, because that's what everybody could see on the screen. But I know that's not the rule. It's the rule to have these decisions when the VAR is involved, and the VAR was of course not involved in yes or no [for] a second yellow. In general I think let's judge this not on an evening, let's judge this if we see this a few more times.

On staying calm at full-time despite being disappointed by the decision...

I don’t think I am known in Holland for [being] the person who always stay calm with referee decisions! Although I do think the wrong opinion about me over there when it comes to refereeing decisions! The decision is made, you can’t change it. In the moment when he didn’t give the second yellow nobody thought that it would have had such a big impact 30 seconds later. I think - I haven’t asked him - but I am 99.9 per cent sure I wasn’t the only one who felt not the best [when the goal was scored]. I am 99.9 per cent sure when Bergvall scored the referee was like, 'Is this really happening?' because he couldn't change it anymore. It was, for him, also far from ideal I think - but that's why I say 99.9 because I couldn't look into his head and he didn't have to tell what he felt.