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Between Guardiola’s Manchester City and Klopp’s Liverpool: A Champion’s League Clash of the Titans

According to Jurgen Klopp, manager of Liverpool Football Club, “there will be fire” when the Merseyside club faces off against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in Wednesday’s Champions League showdown at Anfield.

The coach stated that his confidence was based on the fact that his team, at their best, were capable of defying the odds to reach the semi-finals.

Manchester City would be travelling down to Anfield to faceoff with the Merseyside club in a first leg meeting of their quarter-final clash, resuming a rivalry which has seen 12 goals scored in the last two meetings between the teams.

“If I had the choice to watch a UEFA Champions League game on Wednesday I would watch this one,” Klopp told reporters.

“It is about tactics, but there will be fire in the game. So, that’s cool. And it’s at Anfield anyway. So, a good atmosphere to watch.”

In September 2017, Liverpool was thrashed 5-0 by Manchester City at the Ethihad Stadium, home stadium of Manchester City, after Sadio Mane, Liverpool forward, was sent off the pitch but the club got their chance to exact revenge on their rivals in a 4-3 win at Anfield, which was recorded as the only loss for the Manchester side so far, in the Premier League.

Predictions and Expectations

Several opinions are flying with regards to the outcome of the Champions league match between the two English teams but, a majority of the opinions agree that the match is going to be a tough decider, considering the fact that both clubs are under some form of unmentioned pressure to outperform each other.

Klopp revealed that indeed there isn’t much hope for his team to knock Manchester City out on two legs because Guardiola’s side has been much more consistent with their play and delivery. He however noted that his side did have a chance and was going to exploit that chance fully.

“Did we think before the first game we would lose 5-0? No. Did we think before the second we would win 4-3? No. But do we know we have a chance? Yes.

“Actually that was clear before, but they are the favourites. We should finish the game with 11 first of all, that would be cool. We know it’s difficult.

“At specific moments we are on a similar level, but they have been much more consistent, and that’s why they are higher in the league. We see our chance, but we know it will be unbelievably difficult.”

It is quite tricky to try and ascertain which coach would perform better. Both managerial styles are so entrenched, principles so firm, that neither is likely depart from them even in a game of this importance. However, Guardiola has been more consistent.

Klopp’s Liverpool will go all-out attack, while City will play the possession game bolted on to the pace of a superb attack, which is Guardiola’s hallmark.

Former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson told BBC Sport:

“This will be everything that is good about football. We over-hype many games these days – but this is a game that cannot be over-hyped.

“There are times people expect a classic and never see it, but I would be very surprised if this is anything less than that when these two teams and managers meet with a place in the Champions League semi-finals at stake.

“The hype is justified because they can’t play any other way than by going at each other.”

“I don’t see anyone changing their style,”

In his assessment, Former Manchester City and England defender Danny Mills assert:

“City will try to keep the ball from Liverpool. Their defenders are getting better and better but they also have this ability to stop you having the ball.

“If you haven’t got it you can’t score and this is how Guardiola operates. City can sit deep, pass it around and keep the ball off you. This is the extra defensive strategy they will have.”

Favoured score prediction is 2-1.

History of meetings between the coaches

Klopp’s record of six victories in 12 games against Guardiola with Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool – in opposition to Bayern Munich and Manchester City respectively – means he has the best record of managerial success against the Catalan.

It hardly makes Klopp Guardiola’s nemesis. Guardiola has five wins, and both have had success this season with City winning 5-0 at Etihad Stadium in September before Liverpool came out on top 4-3 at Anfield in January.

Records

Liverpool (ENG)
UEFA club ranking: 30
European Cup quarter-final record: W9 L4
Last quarter-final: 2008/09 (lost 5-7 v Chelsea)
This season: P8 W4 D4 L0 F28 A6
Top scorer: Roberto Firmino (7)
Most assists: James Milner (7)
Top #UCLfantasy scorer: Roberto Firmino (55)
Most-started XI: Karius; Moreno, Lovren, Matip, Gomez; Milner, Can/Henderson, Wijnaldum; Mané, Firmino, Salah

Manchester City (ENG)
UEFA club ranking: 8
European Cup quarter-final record: W1 L0
Last quarter-final: 2015/16 (won 3-2 v Paris Saint-Germain)
This season: P8 W6 D0 L2 F19 A7
Top scorers: Raheem Sterling, Sergio Agüero (4)
Most assists: Kevin De Bruyne (4)
Top #UCLfantasy scorer: Ederson (37)
Most-started XI: Ederson; Walker, Stones, Otamendi, Danilo; De Bruyne, Fernandinho, Gündoğan; Sterling, Agüero, Sané

The two sides have never met in the history of the European Championship.

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