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Dejan Lovren believes the language barrier is partly to blame for Liverpool ’s defensive worries – but the centre-half has vowed the Reds will tighten up at the back.

Liverpool were punished for slack defending on Saturday as Aston Villa extended their impressive recent run at Anfield with a 1-0 win.

The Reds fielded a new-look back four at the weekend with three summer signings in the line-up and Lovren admits they are taking time to gel.

Lovren also points to the international break as a factor in their poor performance but accepts that if they fail to learn from their mistakes then Liverpool will be “stupid”.

The 25-year-old insists Brendan Rodgers’ side must defend from the front with an intense pressing game and fully expects the Reds to come out firing against Ludogorets on their return to the Champions League tonight.

“In the last game we had so many new players and especially in the back four we had three new players,” Lovren said.

“When the players – the left and the right-back – are not so good with English like me and Sakho it is a little bit harder.

“But I am confident with my team and with these players.

“We are young and we have the quality to achieve something in the Champions League.

“Sure, it will not be easy in the group but it will be a disappointment for me and the team if we do not pass the group.”

In pictures: Reds train ahead of Ludogorets game

He added: “When I speak defensively I don’t just mean the back four – we need to defend like a team.

“Of course, everyone makes mistakes – it is part of football – but we need to learn about the mistakes, this is the most important thing.

“If we repeat the mistakes then you can say whatever you want because we deserve it.

“We would be stupid if we didn’t learn from our mistakes but the game against Aston Villa it was after 10 days off and a lot of us had not been with the team because we were with our national teams and so only had two days to prepare.

“I will not say it was an excuse but it is much easier for Aston Villa than for us because we have a lot of national team players.

“But we are professionals so you need to adapt as quick as possible.

“It is easier for me because I have had one season in the Premier League with Southampton.

“At Southampton I was adapting myself quickly and I know the players will be adapting as soon as possible.

“Some of them have been in Spain, some in Portugal and some in Italy so we need a little bit of time but with the games and the time it will come and settle down. I am not worried.

“I think the last game we didn’t press like Liverpool press. I think that was the key thing. We were at home and playing at Anfield and we need to attack. We needed to win that game.

“We can’t stay and wait and wait – sometimes in the big games we need to be a little bit smarter – but in the games with Aston Villa you need to try and score in the first 15 minutes.

“Tonight we will not wait and wait to do something. We need to do something to score and we will change some things.”

Lovren has played 12 times in the Champions League proper for French club Lyon and is likely to start tonight’s game at Anfield as one of Liverpool most experienced players in the competition.

Martin Skrtel has been ruled out while Glen Johnson, Daniel Sturridge and Emre Can – who have all played in Europe’s leading club competition – are also sidelined.

And so Lovren knows he will have to assume greater responsibility to help guide an inexperienced side through the group stages.

But the former Dinamo Zagreb defender believes Liverpool will qualify for the knockout stages and he has no fear in facing defending champions Real Madrid later in the tournament.

“I think we can also beat Real Madrid so it is not just Basel and Ludogorets,” Lovren declared.

“We need to take the games step by step.

“I have played Real four times. Of course it is difficult when you go there but when you see Real today, they are not the same team like last year. Everything is possible.”

James Pearce on LFC's return to the Champions League: