Branislav Ivanovic warns Chelsea must improve at Liverpool
Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic reckons the team will have to show a marked improvement against Liverpool on Saturday to avoid defeat at Anfield.
Ivanovic was frustrated Chelsea missed the opportunity to seal qualification for the Champions League knockout stages in Maribor on Saturday.
The Blues had to come from behind to earn a 1-1 draw against the Group G outsiders, and then missed an opportunity to claim victory in the dying minutes when Eden Hazard had a penalty saved.
But Ivanovic is hopeful the players will be well prepared for the Liverpool test, which he suspects will be much tougher than the trip to Slovenia.
"We know how our performance has to be to get the points from Liverpool away," the 30-year-old said.
"I think if we play against Liverpool as we played against Maribor, we know it is not possible. Of course this was a warning to the team and this is good.
"We should have finished the group, but now it's too late and we have to think about the next games in the Champions League."
Liverpool will go into the lunchtime kick-off on Saturday, with an extra day’s rest, but Ivanovic has no concerns about the turnaround.
"We still have two days to recover - this is normal," Ivanovic said.
"It's not the first time we have had to do that. We are professional and have to do a lot of things to be ready for that game.
"It's massive - one of the crucial games for us. For this kind of game you always have to find extra motivation and it's not about tiredness or fitness."