“Pep (Guardiola) is the best coach in the world,” Jurgen Klopp said. I have no idea how someone could have misgivings about him”; Klopp is also praised by Guardiola. On Sky Sports, you can watch Man City vs Liverpool live. Premier League action begins at 4 p.m. on Sunday, with a 4.30 p.m. kick-off.
Guardiola quipped that he may have found a solution to the criticism that he overcomplicates his tactics in big games by playing with 12 players before of City’s Champions League quarter-final match against Atletico Madrid this week.
“I usually overthink in the Champions League,” Guardiola stated. “I’m always coming up with new techniques and concepts, and you’ll see one soon.” I overthink a lot, which is why my Champions League results are so good.
When asked what it takes to overcome Guardiola’s teams, Klopp underlined his admiration for the Spaniard and his team in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports’ Geoff Shreeves.
The German has the best record against Guardiola, having won nine of their 22 encounters, but admits that his squad would have to be at their best to win at the Etihad.
Klopp stated, “You need a perfect performance.” “You must defend at the highest level possible. There is no mechanism on the planet capable of defending them as a whole. However, if you have a good idea, a good plan, a strong system, and then top, top world-class players, you may cause difficulties for the city. That’s beneficial.”
While City recently lost points to a Crystal Palace side that had only 26% possession and defended deep, Klopp is certain that his Liverpool squad will play their own game this weekend in Manchester. He believes it will be a “fascinating” matchup between the country’s two best teams.
“There were other games that City struggled to win, even if they were still superior, because they couldn’t break down a low block and things like that.” “That’s football,” Klopp remarked. “It’s something we battle with from time to time.” It’s the most challenging task. The spaces get narrower and smaller, yet there are still the same number of players to contend with.
“Both teams go for the counter-press and seek to win the ball back high; we might press a little harder because they let us step in a little bit more against us last time… From the perspective of a pure football fan, it’s intriguing and exciting.
“You take a look at it, and you’ll notice that the games against them were always exciting. We must not forget that it is also enjoyable. It appeals to me.”
In addition to the tactical component, head-to-heads between these two teams have a history of scoring goals, with 19 goals scored in the last five meetings.
