Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp defends Loris Karius after goalkeeper is criticised for not saving Fernando free-kick in draw with Spartak Moscow

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Jurgen Klopp has defended Loris Karius after the Liverpool goalkeeper came under-fire for his failure to stop Fernando's free-kick in their draw with Spartak Moscow.

Karius was beaten from 25 yards midway through the first half of Tuesday's Champions League tie in Russia. Though the free-kick was well-struck, it did not go right in the corner of Karius' net.

Rio Ferdinand said after the match that he would have been 'fuming' if he was a Liverpool defender. But Klopp has dismissed any notion that his goalkeeper should have done better.

Fernando scored from a 25-yard free-kick to give Spartak Moscow the lead against Liverpool 

Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius came under fire for his failure to keep out the set piece

But Jurgen Klopp defended his compatriot and keeper, claiming: 'It was a very good free kick'

'It's over the wall, it's the corner of the wall,' he told BT Sport. 

'If you want to talk about this, do it really. I don't understand how you can talk after a game like this about this one situation but I'm not sure, I have to see it again.

'It was a very good free kick. It was in the corner of where the wall protects the corner so I don't know. I don't think so but probably you have another opinion.'

For the second time in as many European games, Liverpool had to settle for a point despite creating the far better chances on Tuesday.

Philippe Coutinho, who gave away the free kick for Fernando's goal, levelled the scores on 31 minutes but Daniel Sturridge, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah all missed good chances for the visitors.

Philippe Coutinho ensured Liverpool were only behind for eight minutes with a great goal

But Klopp's side missed a host of chances in both halves and were forced to settle for a point

Klopp hailed the creativity of his side but accepted that they needed to be more clinical going forward. 

'Obviously we didn't score often enough. How can I say it? Fortune is not with us at the moment,' he said.

'We created, created, created. Yes we could have created more which we didn't do but the chances we had were big enough to score two, three four times.'

He added: 'The effort was great, it was a very intense game from our side, they had to defend and lost one player after another... we have to be more clinical, that's 100 per cent sure but the only way to change is to do it again, do it again, do it again.'