Who will win the eternal duel Klopp vs. Pep?

The mood was relaxed at Liverpool Football Club’s press conference ahead of their top-of-the-table clash against Manchester City late on Sunday afternoon. So relaxed, in fact, that Jürgen Klopp got carried away answering LFC legend Jamie Carragher’s question about whether he would make a convincing secret agent 007. However, with plenty on his plate in sporting terms, the German coach is certainly out of the question to succeed Daniel Craig.

The focus of this article, however, is of course on the eagerly awaited duel Klopp vs. Guardiola. Liverpool vs Manchester City. According to the odds, the guests are even considered to have the better chances at the moment, which is probably partly due to the fact that the Sky Blues already won the last away match at Anfield Road by a clear 4:1. However, the Reds have not suffered two successive league defeats against City since the 1930s.

Because we generally find it difficult to predict the outcome of the match between Liverpool and Manchester City, we prefer to look at the number of goals instead. Although both teams are known for their good and high-quality offence, it seems anything but unlikely that the returning spectators at the football temple on Merseyside will only see few goals Particularly because this is definitely a landmark encounter in the battle for the English championship

Liverpool – Statistics & current form

Liverpool made a real statement in the Champions League during the week. Jürgen Klopp’s team won the away match against FC Porto 5:1 and thus reached six points in Group B after two match days. The positive impression from the Champions League has also been consolidated in the Premier League so far. With 14 points from six games, the 2020 champions currently lead the standings on the island.

In the previous week, however, the Reds had to cope with a small setback, as they could not get beyond an unnecessary 3:3 draw away to promoted Brentford. Despite two leads (2:1, 3:2), it was only enough for a point, although this was again enough to take over the top spot in the table.

Will Liverpool stay top of the table?

The place in the sun should now be defended on Sunday. Statistically, however, there are justifiable doubts that they will succeed, as the Reds have only won one of their last seven Premier League games against the reigning champions (two draws, four defeats). In addition, the sting of the 1:4 defeat in the last home game against Guardiola’s eleven, mentioned in the introduction, still sits deep.

On a positive note, however, Klopp’s team has not lost any of its last 16 league games. In the current season, the men from Merseyside are even the only team in England that has not lost a game. At the same time, the leaders also have the best attack. At home, they have conceded only one goal in three games. Only in one of the three home games was the mark of 2.5 goals broken. The Reds have not scored more than one goal in the first 45 minutes of 2021/22.

Accordingly, there are two worthwhile approaches: On the one hand, bets can be placed on a maximum of two goals being scored in the entire match on Sunday evening. On the other hand, the bet on a maximum of one goal in the first halfbet between Liverpool and Manchester City also promises an attractive value. Nobody wants to lose, so caution should be the top maxim at the start of the game. In addition to the seriously injured Elliott and Thiago, Alexander-Arnold will also be unavailable against the reigning champions due to injury

Predicted Liverpool line-up:
Alisson; Milner, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Jones; Salah, Firmino, Mane

Last matches played by Liverpool:

Manchester City – Statistics & current form

For Manchester City, the trip during the week in the Champions League did not go as desired. At Paris St. Germain, the Citizens lost somewhat surprisingly with 0:2 and thus missed the second statement win in a row. A few days earlier, the champions had won 1-0 away to Chelsea FC in the league, overtaking the Blues in the standings.

Once again, it became clear that the Himmelblauen’s defence in particular is living up to the highest expectations in the current season. In the first six match days, keeper Ederson has only had to make one save

Defence is the trump card for the Citizens

Five clean sheets is an impressive figure, which is further highlighted by the statistic that in three out of six cases the respective opponent was not even able to get a shot off on the Brazilian’s goal. Neither Champions League winners Chelsea, nor promoted Norwich and Arsenal had a shot on target after 90 minutes.

In view of this, it would be almost naïve to predict over-goals between Liverpool and Manchester City, especially as there has been no more than one goal in four of the six Premier League matches involving City to date.

The fact that the odds on an away win in the Liverpool vs. Manchester City clash are also lower than those on the Reds is not entirely understandable in our eyes. This thesis can be justified with the coaching duel Klopp vs Guardiola. The Catalan has not suffered as many defeats against any of his colleagues as he has against the German (eight). Against Liverpool as a club, Pep has won just 30% of all matches, four out of 13. Ilkay Gündogan looks set to miss out through injury and there is a bigger question mark over Oleksandr Zinchenko’s involvement too.

Predicted Manchester City line-up:
Ederson; Walker, Dias, Laporte, Cancelo; Silva, Rodri, Foden; Jesus, De Bruyne, Grealish

Last matches played by Manchester City:

Liverpool – Manchester City Tip

The champions of the past two years in England face each other at Anfield Road on Sunday afternoon from 17:30. High-class football is guaranteed as well as an atmospheric backdrop. The only thing that is extremely complicated is predicting which of the Premier League giants will collect the big points in the duel between the leaders and the runners-up.

If we had to decide on a winner, however, we would rather bet on the home side between Liverpool and Manchester City, given the more lucrative betting odds. Not least because Jürgen Klopp has already beaten his long-time adversary Guardiola eight times, more than any other coach on the planet. Moreover, LFC are unbeaten in 16 Premier League games and brimming with confidence after last week’s 5-1 win in Porto.

We think that the Liverpool vs. Manchester City tip that a maximum of one goal will be scored in the first half is much more sustainable. In general, we think that the fans will tend to see few goals. ManCity have conceded just one goal so far, while the Reds have also conceded in three home games. There is a lot at stake, so both teams, knowing the strength of the other, will probably not take the big risk.