Jordon Ibe’s first goal for the side in his 30th appearance was enough against Rubin Kazan, a match the visitors dominated with a calm and controlling performance for which the 1-0 scoreline did not do justice.
After three successive 1-1 draws in the Europa League, their first win in nine European group games gives them a much healthier outlook. They now trail the Group B leaders Sion by only two points after their 1-1 draw with Bordeaux.
Klopp has recorded three successive wins in all competitions – the Capital One Cup against Bournemouth and Premier League at Chelsea previously – and will hope they can carry that form into Sunday’s visit of Crystal Palace in the league.
Joe Allen was the goalscorer – against Udinese in December 2012 – the last time Liverpool won on foreign soil and he was the only surviving member of that team to start in Russia.
Exactly one year and one day ago, an under-strength Liverpool side – famously not including the then captain Steven Gerrard – was running out to face Real Madrid in the Champions League. While the 45,000-capacity Kazan Arena cannot compete with the Bernabéu, it is not the easiest place to come to. Rubin have beaten Chelsea and Tottenham on Russian soil and that was part of the reason Klopp brought the strongest squad available.
It meant a first start since 20 September for Christian Benteke and while his team-mates did their best to supply the striker with ammunition, there was not a great deal to trouble the Rubin goalkeeper Sergey Ryzhikov in the first half.
The visitors dominated on a pitch that had been relaid after the stadium hosted the World Swimming Championships in July when they dug up the playing surface and built two swimming pools on it before reversing the process to restore football activity.
That did not help matters but James Milner’s rasping shot against the crossbar from Roberto Firmino’s clever little pass and Solomon Kvirkvelia’s overhead kick clearance to deny Benteke a goalscoring opportunity inside the opening eight minutes was a positive start.
However Ryzhikov was not properly tested until the end of the half, producing a brilliant reaction save from Kvirkvelia’s misdirected header following Ibe’s cross and then clawing away the loose ball.
The breakthrough came seven minutes into the second half when Firmino’s pass allowed Ibe to advance 15 yards and clip a shot in off Ryzhikov’s far post.
Milner almost made it two, cutting in from the right forcing the goalkeeper to tip over his fierce effort, while Emre Can drilled a weak clearance straight at the busy Ryzhikov, whose legs denied Ibe on the counterattack.
Rubin exerted some late pressure in an attempt to salvage their proud European record of not having lost a group stage game at home but it was to no avail.