Ahead of tomorrow night’s clash of the titans, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola declared his Thursday opponent, Liverpool, the team to beat this season. Guardiola believes the Reds are currently the best team in Europe, but their manager, Jurgen Klopp is having none of that.
Klopp returned the favor, deeming City the best team in the world at his news conference today.
“The opponent, for me, is still the best team in the world. And I don’t say that to say it, I said it weeks ago,” the German said.
“It’s 100 percent my opinion because the way they play, the things they achieved, the ability and all that stuff. Nothing changed. Only the points changed, but not the preparation for the game.”
“I heard (what Pep said). He said: In the moment.’ Yes, with the record we had in December — I’m not sure if another team had a record like this in December, I don’t know, we are in a good moment. And we are a very, very, very good football team as well, so that’s why we have the amount of points, that’s why we had the results. But we prepare for one game.”
“Would I say they are the best team in the world if nobody asked me? No. But we talk about it. It sounds like we go there and we are more likely to win the game than they. It’s just not true.”
“Only the situation a couple of weeks ago, we were a point behind and if you lose then it’s four points. It’s only talk, it’s nothing to do with the reality. A big part of the football world is talking about it before it happens. But we are there to let it happen.”
“That’s the difference.”
Liverpool at Manchester City FYIs
Kick-off: 8:00 pm (BST), 3:00 pm (EST) Thursday January 3, City of Manchester Stadium
Google Result Probability: Manchester City win- 47%, Draw 26%, Liverpool win- 27%
Odds via Bet365: Manchester City 21/20, draw 29/10, Liverpool 5/2
Recent form: Liverpool- WWWWWW Manchester City- WLWLLW
Liverpool starting XI Prediction: go to this link
Manchester City starting XI Prediction: go to this link
Injury report for both teams: go to this link
Prediction: City 2, Liverpool 2
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, regularly appears as a guest pundit on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
He also contributes sociopolitical essays to Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to his.