Jurgen Klopp will face Pep Guardiola for the final time in the English Premier League on Sunday, March 10, 2024. The two managers have changed the soccer that is played in England’s premier division. With solid resumes backing them, each came into their EPL teams with a lot left to prove. They have both delivered at the highest levels.
Liverpool vs. Man City.
Klopp vs. Pep for one last time.
First place in the Premier League up for grabs.
CANNOT. WAIT. 🍿🏆 pic.twitter.com/srkiu4uzYV
— B/R Football (@brfootball) March 8, 2024
Matches between Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool and Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City have become the most mouthwatering fixture the league, or even Europe overall, has to offer. However, with Klopp set to depart Liverpool at the end of the season and claiming that he would never manage another EPL side, we are set to see the final dance between two of the greatest managers soccer has had to offer recently.
Jurgen Klopp vs. Pep Guardiola: Head-to-head stats in the Premier League
Jurgen Klopp | Stats | Pep Guardiola |
---|---|---|
15 | Matches | 15 |
4 | Won | 5 |
5 | Loss | 4 |
6 | Draw | 6 |
19 | Goals Scored | 30 |
30 | Goals Conceded | 19 |
1 | Premier League Titles | 5 |
Jurgen Klopp vs. Pep Guardiola: How have they fared before?
It should be noted that Guardiola and Klopp were managing together in the German Bundesliga as well. Klopp was the manager of Borussia Dortmund while Guardiola took care of Bayern Munich.
Surprisingly, overall stats of Klopp vs. Guardiola see the German manager trump the Spanish manager before their last face-off in the EPL. Klopp has won 12 out of the 29 total matches between the two. Guardiola, however, is behind by just one. All of their six draws have come in the Premier League.
Is the Jurgen Klopp vs Pep Guardiola rivalry the best the Premier League has seen 😮🤯 pic.twitter.com/5HNhleU4kf
— TheFootballCorner (@7FootballCorner) March 8, 2024
Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola’s teams have a specific type of play which is quite different from each other. But, for the neutral, they have always been a joy to watch. Pep’s Tiki-Taka from his Barcelona days has evolved into an even more refined system at City. More than refined, it has also become adaptable. Devoid of an out-and-out striker in one season, Guardiola managed to get his team to score goals and win the league.
Klopp, on the other hand, had a slow start to life at Liverpool compared to Guardiola’s. The German manager finished eighth in his first season- 2015-16- compared to Guardiola’s third spot finish in his first season- 2016-17. Klopp’s hardworking Liverpool side have pressed opposition into defeats. His way of scouting and giving opportunity to the youth will help Liverpool in the years to come.
When it came to battling each other in the league, they have always been back-and-forth. In their first PL meeting, Klopp drew first blood with a 1-0 win in December 2016. Less than a year later in September 2017, City were runaway 5-0 winners. The same season, in another entertaining battle, Liverpool came out 4-3 winners. Since then their matches have been tighter and low-scoring except for City’s four-goal hauls in July 2020 and February 2021.
Their final encounter last season also saw City score four in a 4-1 drubbing. This season, however, Liverpool has been much more cautious and better. Their last encounter in November 2023 saw Erling Haaland get on the scoresheet along with Trent Alexander-Arnold for an exciting 1-1 draw.
What to expect in Jurgen Klopp vs. Pep Guardiola’s last dance?
Liverpool sit top of the table in the Premier League with 63 points. Guardiola’s City are a close second with 62 points. Their match has been billed as a title decider by many. However, there are still 10 games to go after this.
Liverpool have been dangling with multiple injury problems in their squad this season. For their match against City, they will be missing Diogo Jota, Allison, Ryan Gravenberch, Trent, Joel Matip, and Curtis Jones.
Pool fans can let out a sigh of relief as Mohamed Salah is expected to start the match. In his 13 PL matches against City as a Liverpool player, Salah has scored seven goals and assisted four. He will be a key player for Liverpool along with Darwin Nunez up top and Virgil Van Dijk holding the fort in defence.
Mohamed Salah back in training 😍🔴pic.twitter.com/EcaqhPkqdS
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) March 6, 2024
City, who have also struggled this season due to the fitness of their star men, have nothing to worry about going into the weekend. Kevin de Bruyne, Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, and Ruben Dias among other players are all fit to start. It will indeed decide who could end the gameweek as the leader but the match will not decide the title. With 10 games to go anything can happen in the league.
As for Liverpool vs. City and Klopp vs. Guardiola, we are assured of an entertaining match that can go either way. The pair, who have the utmost respect for each other, will surely embrace in a heartwarming manner. However, City’s strength all around and Pool’s injury woes tilt the scale toward the Blues.