LIVERPOOL -- Jurgen Klopp says he had to resist the temptation to start Roberto Firmino against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night, with the Brazilian coming off the bench to score the dramatic winner in Liverpool's 3-2 victory in their Champions League opener.
Firmino started as a substitute in the encounter with the French champions, having suffered an abrasion to the eye during Liverpool's win over Tottenham on the weekend, with Klopp picking Daniel Sturridge ahead of him in a move the German boss said worked out perfectly.
But the forward, who did not train with his teammates on Monday evening, appeared in the 72nd minute and went on to score an injury-time goal to secure three points for Liverpool in their opening match of Group C.
"How I said, the day before yesterday it was no chance, yesterday it didn't look really well, and we had only one session, which we really used," Klopp told his postmatch news conference.
"That was this morning and Bobby tested a little bit but then he went in. And I really think it is a moment where you have to show faith in the squad.
"Yes, when you have Bobby Firmino available you actually always think: 'Come on, bring him in.' But it was nice to see how Daniel [Sturridge] performed tonight and he paid 100 percent back so that's so cool for him, for us, such an important sign.
"Then bringing Bobby after 70 minutes, it's a nice tool to be honest, I really like that. So it was good."
Liverpool took a 2-0 lead at Anfield courtesy of goals from Sturridge and James Milner. PSG then hit back through Thomas Meunier close to half-time before Kylian Mbappe netted an equaliser in the 83rd minute.
Firmino was introduced in place of Sturridge, who received a standing ovation from the Anfield crowd after scoring on his first ever Champions League start for Liverpool.
"Great performance of Daniel, to be honest," Klopp added. "The three in midfield did an outstanding job but they only can do it when both the two wingers and -- how we played -- the No.9 is helping in all these situations to keep the formation compact. It was fantastic.
"I said to Daniel before the game: 'You are in the best shape since I know you, physical-wise, and now you have to use that.' And that's what he did. Super game, super goal.
"That we had then the opportunity to bring Bobby Firmino ... There was no chance yesterday, absolutely no chance the day before, and this morning he came in and said, 'I'm fine, I can open the eye again.' That helps. It was good."
Meanwhile, Klopp believes Liverpool convincingly taking down a PSG side while containing the world's two most expensive players in Neymar and Mbappe is a sign of his team's progress in recent years.
"The cool development of our club is when you hear Liverpool plays PSG, you don't think we are without any chance anymore," he said. "I would say one, two, three years ago, everybody would have thought we cannot climb there.
"That's good, but that's of course because of last year and because of the start of the next season maybe, and because of the players we have, because of the football we played."