Guardiola on his rivalry with Jürgen Klopp
Pep Guardiola spoke ahead of the clash against Liverpool about his rivalry with Jürgen Klopp in the Premier League and what made it so special compared to his time in Spain and Germany.
Manchester City vs Liverpool: Line-ups
Manchester City
Liverpool
It Will Be Tough to Find a Winner
#1
At one stage eight points clear at the top of the rankings having played the same amount of games as Liverpool – 14 at one point having played two games more – City are still fighting for success on three fronts this season after ceding their customary EFL Cup crown to the Reds.
#2
City’s title destiny is still in their own hands, though, and victory on their own turf would see them open up an unassailable four-point gap at the summit heading into the final seven games of the season, but a Champions League quarter-final second leg with Atletico and a reunion with Liverpool in the semi-finals of the FA Cup represents a gruelling Easter period for the Citizens.
#3
Heading into Sunday’s game at the Etihad with the wind in their sails was therefore of paramount importance for Man City, who eased to a 2-0 win at Burnley through Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan’s efforts before eventually managing to find their way through the low block of Atletico.
#4
While they will be coming up against the league’s best defence, Liverpool have proven to be pretty adept at keeping the ball away from their own net with five successive clean sheets in the Premier League, and a whopping tally of 77 goals is the highest in the league by far.
#5
Playing on rival turf has certainly not phased the Merseyside giants in recent weeks either, with Liverpool winning eight in a row away from home across all competitions, but not since 2010 have they been able to keep a clean sheet at the Etihad Stadium.
DPP Verdict
It would be typical if the footballing gods gifted us with a drab 0-0 in what has been billed as a pulsating encounter between two rampant attacking forces, and a stalemate would certainly lead to an intriguing battle for supremacy in the final few weeks. Liverpool’s wealth of attacking options will not need a second invitation to take advantage of Dias’s absence, but Guardiola has got one over Klopp more often than not in recent years, and we are simply unable to back either side to down the other with any real confidence – instead opting for an entertaining draw as the title goes down to the wire.
