Liverpool first English team in history to win all six Champions League group games
They comfortably beat AC Milan 2-1 last night
Liverpool comfortably beat AC Milan 2-1 last night to become the first English side to win all six Champions League group matches.
Since the Reds were already through the so-called 'group of death' and into the last 16, Klopp had made eight changes from the last-gasp win at Wolves on Saturday with only Alisson Becker, Salah and Sadio Mane retained.
"Honestly I don't feel pride a lot in football because most of the time I expect good things happen," he said.
"But tonight there was a lot of pride, an exceptional performance; I don't mean because we won six games, I mean this game because it was so good with that many changes.
"It is easy for me to make the changes but the boys have to be confident enough to show how good they are and I saw so many good football things tonight which is incredible.
"And we won all six games, which is absolutely incredible and just another chapter for this group of players.
Mo already three goals ahead of his record-breaking campaign
Mohamed Salah scored his 20th goal of the season in a 2-1 win over AC Milan in the San Siro after he was quickest to react when goalkeeper Mike Maignan failed to hold Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's shot to score with a 36th-minute strike to equalise Fikayo Tomori's opener.
The Egyptian international is already three ahead of his tally at the same stage of his record-breaking 44-goal 2017/18 campaign.
Mo is the first Liverpool player to score 20-plus in five consecutive seasons since Ian Rush, who managed it six times up to 1986-87, and the third-quickest in the club's history - behind Rush and the late Roger Hunt - to reach the mark.
Origi, however, is a man carving out his own slice of Liverpool history and a looping 55th-minute header from Mane's parried shot after he had robbed Tomori only added to his cult status.
Last night's goal was the Belgian's first Champions League goal since his 2019 final victory settled the tie but unlike Saturday's added-time heroics at Wolves, he had to share the headlines with Salah.
A mainly changed side with some late European debuts
Alisson Becker and Sadio Mane were the others retained, with the likes of Virgil Van Dijk, Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara not even travelling to Italy which meant Klopp named five academy players on the bench - with another, Tyler Morton, making a second successive start in Europe.
There were also late European debuts for academy players Conor Bradley and Max Woltman, his first senior appearance, capped an ideal night for Klopp.
The confidence which is coursing through this side was embodied by fifth-choice centre-back Nat Phillips.
In his first start of the season, after just 45 minutes against Preston and a late substitute appearance versus Atletico Madrid last month, his drag-back in his own penalty area sent two Milan players racing past and allowed him to launch a counter-attack.
Klopp was particularly pleased with their defensive display, having fielded a completely new back four - which included Nat Phillips making his first start of the season - and midfield.
"I really thought we defended exceptionally well," he added.
"The plan of Milan was playing through the centre, through the half-spaces between the winger and our eights.
"I have to say Nate Phillips and Ibou Konate played an exceptional game, absolutely exceptional game.
"How they defended tonight was outstanding, I am really proud of the boys."
Despite a mostly changed team, Milan - needing to win and Porto and Atletico Madrid to draw to reach the last 16 - appeared reluctant to test their opponents early on and Liverpool, with only their perfect group record to play for, did most of the attacking but with a lack of intensity.
With the return of former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard to Anfield with his Aston Villa side on Saturday, Salah and Mane were rested for the final 26 minutes as Naby Keita and Joe Gomez, after more than a month each out of action, were given minutes.