Liverpool’s defensive organisation key to victory at Southampton, says Brendan Rodgers

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers hailed his side’s 2-0 win against Southampton on Sunday as “a great team performance”.

The visitors kept a fifth consecutive clean sheet away from home in the Premier League to move up to sixth place in the table, the first time the club have achieved that for 30 years.

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More importantly Rodgers’ team are now just two points behind Manchester United in the fourth and final Champions League berth with 12 games of the season remaining.

And the Liverpool boss was quick to praise his players, especially the defence, after the full-time whistle.

“We defended absolutely magnificently,” he told Sky Sports. “Our passing could have been better, but the conditions were very difficult and to come here and get a clean sheet was a great effort.

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“I thought we were really organised as a team and controlled the game as it went on. It was an outstanding win for us. It is difficult to come here and get a result at any time of the season, but on the back of a European game it is a brilliant win by the players."

“It was something (defending) we knew we had to improve,” Rodgers added. “At the beginning of the season we could not quite get the offensive and defensive balance right in the team. But now there is.

“And there is great confidence in the team. We know our game can still be better, but today’s result was important. So overall it was a great team performance.”

Sky Sports subscribers can sign in to watch extended highlights of Southampton v Liverpool from St Mary's Stadium.